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

To: Jacob Snyder who wrote (97395)	5/4/2003 11:10:39 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Respond to of 281500

New Zealand was one of many nations that sent troops in the first Gulf War, and supported us in Afghanistan, The "second gulf war" was nothing more than ending the first gulf war. All of the events that lead to the downfall of Saddam Hussein's Baathist government is as a result of his utter disregard for comply with his obligations under the cease fire agreement. Cease fire agreements are NOT peace agreements. Failed to abide by the terms and the other side has the right (and in this case, obligation) to re-commence hostilities. And Afghanistan was not sanctioned by the UN either. But NZ's prime minister is the one which has led her government down a path where "law of the jungle" pervades. Failure to oppose non-democratic governments intent on conducting in aggression and repression is effectively an implicit acknowledgement that non-democratic governments can cynically hide behind the laws of "civilized behavior" at the same time they seek to overthrow it, and replace it with their own law. To be more to the point, democratic nations generally rely upon the use of force when diplomatic measures have failed. Non-democratic nations use force when they can get away with it, and only later rely upon diplomacy to stave off the wrath of other nations. The very fact that NZ's prime minister publicly displayed her ignorance of world realities is her problem. When she makes such a ridiculous statement, she should be required to suffer for it. Bush went to the UN. In fact, he was the one that initiated 1441 and getting the inspectors back into Iraq (only to once again face non-cooperation and intimidation).. Had it not been for Bush pushing the issue, the UN would have waited until June for the sanctions to expire and let everything be swept under the table. I feel pretty comfortable in saying that the only reason the UN played any part in this was because the US demanded that they do so... But then we saw France and Russia place their own economic interests with the Baathist government above their obligations towards enforcing binding UN resolutions. Hawk