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Politics : DON'T START THE WAR -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: zonder who wrote (13559)	2/27/2003 3:31:24 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25898

Zonder.. Why do you need the Bush administration to "convince you" whether Saddam supports terrorism or not.. Surely, you can think for yourself... Do you believe Saddam supports Terrorism or not?? In fact, do you believe Arafat supports, or supported, terrorism, including assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, bombs that targeted civilians, as well as suicide bombings?? (remember.. I've already shown you where Arafat was caught praising child suicide bombers... ) It looks very much like Bush decided to invade Iraq and then started frantically to look for an excuse Hardly.. We "finished" major operations in Afghanistan and I'm sure his advisors and he sat down and asked themselves whether sufficient political momentum existed for them to take action against some other regimes they know support terrorism and amount to a current or future risk to the US.. And then I'm sure they started reflecting a bit more about the potential risk/benefit analysis that results from either forcing Saddam from power, or overthrowing him ourselves through direct military action.. Iraq is a very nice place to start "draining the terrorist swamp" and attempting to foster democracy in the region.. Surely, you're not opposed to trying to foster democracy and economic opportunity there, are you?? THEN IT IS UP TO THE UNSC TO DECIDE WHAT THE NEXT STEP IT, not your warmongering, vigilante cowboy of a president. Oh come now Zonder.. He's ONLY a "war-mongering cowboy" when he does something that CERTAIN members of the UNSC don't like.. (france, Syria, Russia).. But the minute they decide to issue one of those UN authorizations to use force (like in Desert Storm), then it's we're doing "the lord's work" and footing the price for it to boot.. Because no other nation on this planet has the ability, or the will, to enforce UN resolutions... After all, Resolution 678 stated "all necessary means" be used to force Saddam to comply with cease fire obligations: "Security Council Resolution 678 of 1990 called on “member states” to take “all necessary means” to effect both the resolution demanding Iraq’s withdrawal from Kuwait and “all subsequent resolutions to restore international peace and security in the area.” When the Council established in Resolution 687 (1991) the terms for the ceasefire ending the Desert Storm operation, it neither rescinded this authorization nor terminated sanctions. Thus the 1990 resolution can be read to provide continuing authority for enforcement measures to ensure Iraq’s unconditional fulfillment of the terms laid out in 687, including cooperation with the inspection regime designed to guarantee elimination of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction." unausa.org There you go Zonder.. Since the UN has NOT rescinded, OR REVISED, the language in this BINDING resolution, the US and any other member can use ALL NECESSARY MEANS to effect enforcement of this resolution.. It can, but doesn't have to, include war, insurgency, assassination (if the executive order is rescinded), or whatever is necessary (including the loss of civilian life, where unavoidable). So if you want to blame anyone, blame the UN for permitting such a broad resolution to be passed.... :0) But don't delude yourself Zonder.. The US has all the authority it requires. The UN is only as powerful as the US military which enforces its whims. And considering that the US pays 25% of the UN's budget, maybe France and Germany should step up and increase their contributions so they can command a greater influence?? Hawk