Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq

Three articles on Iraq (so far) today. One an editorial article (sans Author) borrows a leaf from Salon.com on why we should attack Iraq immediately. Because if we don't show Saddam how tough we are the rest of the Middle East will think we are wimps and will immediately begin building Nuclear Bombs and increasing terrorist activities. Hmmmm. So showing the middle east we don't care about international law and will invade any of them at any time will lesson terrorism? At any rate the main reason the article annoyed me was that it used the phrase, common in conservative circles right now, "the liberation of the Iraqi people." First of all there are dozens of nations around the world who deserve liberation just as much as Iraq, if that is going to be our new policy. And second, lets not forget we comfortably funded Iraq at the time when he was using weapons of mass destruction on the Kurds and the Iranians. I don't bring this up a lot, but it does fit if we are going to get all weepy about "the liberation of the Iraqi People."

That aside, I wish we would fight this war to liberate the Iraqi people. I wish I believed this war would result in better lives for them. But we all know it won't.

William F. Buckley has an interesting take on the exile proposal, discussed last week. "The value of an ultimatum does not rest solely on whether it is acceptable. It defines a position. The accommodationist forces are at high speed mobilizing opposition to a ground war conducted by the United States. One set of reasons against such a war is vivid and undeniable. There would be casualties, including civilian casualties. There would be reprisals, conceivably featuring Saddam's (to be sure, nonexistent) apocalyptic weapons.

So Saddam turns down the ultimatum. In reasonable moral arithmetic, it becomes Saddam who, by the single act of refusing to step down, brought on war."

This actually makes sense--it is unlikely that Saddam will accept it, but it would give a solid reason to go into war, and it would let the US act mercifully. If Saddam rejects our mercy, than what choice do we have? But nobody is taking exile seriously as near as I can tell.

Robert Novak has some kind words for Colin Powell, which I appreciate. It is common to read in Conservative articles or to hear on the radio how wrongheaded Powell is, and how needs to support his president. What they usually mean is that Powell needs to support what I think the president should believe in, out of deference for my view of what President Bush believes. So it's nice to see Novak acknowledging the valuable service Powell has provided as Secretary of State, by pushing the US towards a more multilateral solution in Iraq.