A Time For Peace?

Townhall printed a good article today by Doug Bandow on the need for a rapprochement between the United States and our allies. He states;

The mutual snarling serves no one's interest. Repairing the relationship first will require honesty. Secretary of State Colin Powell recently argued, "This is a conflict that we did not ask for, we did not seek, we did not want, we did everything to avoid."

No serious person could believe him. Washington was determined to go to war; that very determination won President Bush popular support in the United States. The administration needs to justify its decision, not run from it.

Washington should acknowledge that it overstated its case. The failure to find any weapons of mass destruction is deeply embarrassing. If Iraq wasn't willing to use such weapons to defend itself, they apparently didn't exist or weren't worth using.

At the same time, Washington's critics should acknowledge that their stance reflects less commitment to international law than concern about American dominance. Moreover, they need to recognize that Bush is no crazy cowboy, as evidenced by his circumspect response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.

Both sides need to regain a sense of proportion toward multilateralism. If the United States believes that its vital interests are at stake, it should not wait for U.N. approval to respond.

Yet multilateralism has value. Washington is likely to find that the difficult process of creating a stable democratic Iraq would be easier with wider international support.

Wise words, well worth considering.