A rchive Date
[ 25-01-2003 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ European Union ]
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[http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/worthington.html
War as a solution
By PETER WORTHINGTON - Toronto Sun
January 25, 2003
By their collusion to try to delay any U.S. attack on Iraq, Germany and especially France may have guaranteed that U.S. President George W. Bush will do it anyway. No question, the U.S. is embarrassed and irritated that French President Jacques Chirac - echoed by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder - reneged on previous support and has prevented NATO from backing the U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, a reluctant warrior about attacking Saddam Hussein, is said to be steaming at the duplicity of Chirac. And rightly so. If America decides enough is enough and goes after Saddam without UN Security Council approval, it may well be Chirac who looks bad - especially if the U.S. wins quickly, decisively and with minimum casualties.
Regardless of whether the U.S. attacks, it's hard not to be contemptuous of Chirac when he utters rubbish like "war is always the admission of defeat and is always the worst of solutions. Everything must be done to avoid it."
Oh? Like surrendering, as France did in 1940? France in the past has practised what Chirac preaches: France not only capitulated with unseemly haste to Hitler in 1940, but half the country collaborated with the Nazis. Their surrender almost cost Britain the war at Dunkirk.
Schroeder isn't much better - the leader of a country that started two world wars and incubated terrorism in the 1970s knows what defeat is.
ELIMINATED HITLER
War, in fact, eliminated Hitler, so as a "solution" it can be fairly effective. When history is examined, much of the misery of the 20th century was inflicted by Europeans. They can't be trusted to behave decently, and now that the European Union exists they are even more insufferable. Europe is economically sound, so perhaps it is time for them to defend themselves, and not rely on the American military to do their dirty work.
NATO's 19 member states must bow and scrape to Germany and France, both of which consider themselves more equal than other "equal" partners of Europe. While negotiated settlements are preferable, often wars are a more permanent solution - Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, China, Israel, Japan, to mention a few.
Like him or not, President Bush's resolve against terrorism and those who sponsor, condone, tolerate or submit to it, is what persuaded Saddam Hussein to let arms inspectors back into Iraq after four years. Because Bush wasn't bluffing is why the Security Council unanimously voted that Saddam must comply, or else.
What's evolving in the world right now, is an alliance of English-speaking nations, determined to restore order to a disorderly world. America, Britain and Australia seem as one in their resolve. All have endured terrorism, none shirk the need to purge the perpetrators.
Canada, to the shame of some of us, is abdicating.
PACIFIST ROLE
By taking the pacifist role, our political leaders hope to disguise what they've done to our military - reduced it to garrison soldiers or constabulary troops. We make a virtue of avoiding responsibility and mindlessly aligning ourselves with the UN to justify inaction. To its shame, the UN chooses Khadaffy's Libya to defend human rights.
Unless Saddam is deposed, exiled or quits, war now seems inevitable. If the head of the snake is amputated, the dynamics of the country instantly change. Iraqis are intelligent, able people and can govern themselves - witness a succession of coups over the years, every one of which was different.
If Bush succeeds against Saddam, the world will be safer and more secure. The message will get across. And China and Russia will breathe easier.
Then attention can be turned to bringing sanity to North Korea - with no help from Germany, France or, sadly, Canada.
Letters to the editor should be sent to editor@sunpub.com.
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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