President Bush has had his say, and made his call. Within 48 hours, the United States of America may engage in an unprovoked war with the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein. The time for debate – not that the Bush administration paid much attention to those of us hoping for debate – is over. It is time for America to brace for war. Bush laid out several points in his short speech from the White House last night. He offered ultimatums to Hussein and advice to others in Iraq. He also painted a vision for a new Iraqi order. How well his notions match up with reality in coming weeks will shape the future of a tumultuous region of the world.
Saddam Hussein. The president called on Hussein to step down and flee Iraq with his sons – in effect, to dismantle his government before the United States comes in there and does it by force. Not likely. Hussein will not leave. He’s not insane, as some would have Americans believe, but he is obsessed with his power base. Removing him will require killing or capturing him. How difficult that is depends on the loyalty of his troops.
The Iraqi Army. Bush asked Iraqi fighting men to stand down and move aside as American troops encircle their leader, promising retribution on anyone using weapons of mass destruction to try to dissuade the Western advance. No doubt many will heed his call. The more who do, the less casualties there will be on both sides. It’s bad enough we’re going in in the first place. Anything that limits deaths is a good thing.
A New Iraq. Perhaps the most inappropriate line was a command by Bush to Iraqi’s leaders to not try to destroy the nation’s oil fields and reserves. The line was flat and crass, and perhaps revealed the true motivation for this conflict which, despite Bush administration claims to the contrary, has nothing to do with terrorism. However, the oil comment tied into Bush’s hope for a new, democratic Iraq (no doubt one more willing to play ball with the West). Of course, the goal of a democratic Iraq is a laudable objective – though perhaps it is one we should have considered before putting Hussein in power way back when. In the future, America would do well to not create monsters, lest we have to later come around and fight them. If any valuable lesson can be drawn for this country from the last 18 months, perhaps that is it. Niether Hussein nor bin Laden would have been a threat to us if we hadn’t helped set them up in the first place.
The War is Here. Within the week, our forces will be engaged. This war should never have been launched, but now that it is joined, there is no valid choice but victory, no valid timetable but one that is short. Let the fighting end quickly, so the rebuilding can move swiftly. We cannot simply smash Iraq and walk away. If Hussein and the Iraqi army do not heed Bush’s demands, then reconstructing an Iraq that will be stable in the long term will take a level of dedication and investment in the cause of nation building that America hasn’t mustered since the 1940s.
Such is the ultimate long-term cost of appeasing Bush’s appetite for war with Saddam Hussein.
