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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rascal who wrote (39623)	8/23/2002 7:06:53 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

Has Bush heard of diplomatic relations? By MARIANNE MEANS SYNDICATED COLUMNIST Friday, August 23, 2002 WASHINGTON -- The overheated temperature currently in the nation's capital is not merely a matter of too much hot weather but also the ominous rise of political tension over the administration's intensifying saber-rattling toward Iraq. Is President Bush deliberately promoting a phony war fever to stoke new fires of patriotism, which work in his favor? That could distract voters from the shaky economy and corporate corruption, which work against him and his party. Or is the president really serious about invading Iraq any minute now with no clear legal justification or support from our allies and with little understanding of the consequences? The first course would be despicable; the latter, absolutely terrifying. This gossipy political city is suspicious that he may time a military assault to precede the November election before the arguments against war can fully sink in with voters. That dubious strategy assumes a rally-around-the-flag reaction. In times of serious international trouble, voters become defensive and supportive of their political leadership. President Kennedy's approval ratings, for instance, actually rose after the humiliating failure of the CIA-supported invasion at Cuba's Bay of Pigs in 1961. The White House insists that domestic politics will play no role in the president's planning about Iraq. But it would be astonishing if one of the most politically oriented administrations of modern times failed to notice that Republicans are in danger of losing control of Congress. An accelerated war scenario, however, would almost certainly require presidential action without the official approval of Congress since lawmakers are eager to adjourn in little more than a month to campaign for re-election. Going to war without consulting Congress and preparing the public would be a tragic mistake. Former Republican vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp sagely advised Bush that a little humility is in order here. President Carter's national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, warned that we could be viewed around the world as "a global gangster" if we jump precipitously into war. A Lone Ranger decision to put thousands of Americans in harm's way without specific enemy provocation could even be grounds for presidential impeachment. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and fund it despite creative White House efforts to reinterpret that document as cutting out the legislative branch. Bush's new doctrine of justifying an unprovoked attack as "pre-emptive self-defense" violates traditional concepts of international law and our own moral principles. And if we can get away with that particular tap-dance, other countries may follow suit and start their own wars against their neighbors. There are tentative signs the president might be having second thoughts in response to the chorus of objections being raised from prominent foreign policy experts, including his father's philosophical buddy and national security adviser, Brent Scowcroft. But Bush has surrounded himself with ardent hawks who warn that a political leader caught bluffing will never be taken seriously again. Bush has already talked so tough about forcing "regime change" in Iraq that he might look like a wimp if he fails to follow through on his threats. Yet better a wimp than a bully. Saddam Hussein is just a sideshow in the current battle against the worldwide terrorist al-Qaida organization that has attacked us. The administration has produced no proof that he is linked to Osama bin Laden's killers. In fact, an al-Qaida video archive recently discovered in Afghanistan surprisingly included a documentary critical of Hussein. The rationale for going to war against Iraq is that Saddam is an evil man who has gassed his own people and is developing chemical and nuclear weapons of mass destruction. The militant hawks argue that we must go after him now before he can stockpile such weapons in large numbers capable of destroying whole populations. Saddam refuses to allow unfettered United Nations inspections of his arsenal although he promised to do so when he was driven from Kuwait after losing the Gulf War. If Bush knows the extent of Saddam's military preparedness and his ability to disperse his weapons over large areas, he isn't telling the rest of us. Certainly, a lack of hard information is no excuse for war. Nobody thinks Saddam is a friendly, harmless fellow. But, as a nation, we cope with all sorts of unfriendly countries without killing and being killed. The process is called diplomatic relations. We do business with China. We sometimes talk to North Korea. We do nothing to harm Iran, Libya or Syria. We have not finished fighting our war against terrorism and we may not be finished for a long time. One war at a time, please. We are the only world superpower, but we are also, as Bush keeps reminding us, Americans. And that means human life and the rule of law take precedence over presidential hubris. Surely Bush cannot wish his legacy in history to be a foolish, bloody confrontation with Iraq that will inflame the whole Middle East. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marianne Means is a Washington, D.C., columnist with Hearst Newspapers. Copyright 2002 Hearst Newspapers. She can be reached at 202-298-6920 or means@hearstdc.com seattlepi.nwsource.com