time to unite to vanquish hussein
TIME TO UNITE TO VANQUISH HUSSEIN Marcus Gee Globe and Mail, March 17, 2003
A moment of truth indeed.
When George W. Bush of the United States, Tony Blair of Britain and Jose Maria Aznar of Spain made their joint statement in the Azores yesterday, they threw down a historic challenge to the United Nations. Come with us as we go to war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, or put yourself on the sidelines in the most important struggle of the new century. Is the UN an effective instrument for international security, or an ineffectual talking shop?
Today we will have the answer. If, by some miracle, the UN Security Council rallies behind the allied banner and decides to approve a final ultimatum to Iraq, then the rift in the international community will be healed and Mr. Hussein will face an irresistible coalition. If…the council says No, the United States, Britain and a handful of other allies will go to war alone, without the legitimizing stamp of the UN and against the tide of world opinion. That would be a huge step backward for everyone who hopes that the phrase "international community" might one day actually mean something.
The Azores challenge comes at a dangerous time. Terrorism still holds a knife at the world's throat. North Korea and now Iran are striving to acquire nuclear weapons. If these threats come together--terrorism on the one hand, weapons of mass destruction on the other--the results are unimaginable.
The barbarians are at the gate. If we hope to repel them, the civilized nations of the world must stand together. That is why Mr. Aznar, Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush made their brief and dramatic trip to the Azores: to make a last, passionate plea for international solidarity… Mr. Blair and Mr. Aznar…may lose their jobs if they take their countries to war without the UN… All three men also believe that this is a do-or-die moment for the international community.
Iraq is a test case. The UN has been struggling with Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction for 12 long years. The Security Council has levied harsh sanctions, held countless debates and issued 17 consecutive demands for Iraqi disarmament--all of them ignored. If after all that, the UN cannot find the strength to enforce its will, what hope is there that it can stop North Korea or Iran?
Last fall, Mr. Blair reminded the world that the UN passed Resolution 1441 giving Iraq a final chance to surrender or destroy its weapons of mass destruction. That resolution called for immediate, complete and unconditional Iraqi disarmament. As Mr. Blair noted, not a single member of the Security Council would suggest that Iraq has acceded to that demand--not Russia, not Germany, not even France… "Now," said Mr. Blair, "is the time when we have to decide."
Resolution 1441 threatened Iraq with "serious consequences"… If the world had rallied together at the start behind a "disarm or else" ultimatum, it is at least possible that Mr. Hussein would now be disarming (or leaving the country). Instead, we have seen the leaders of France, Germany and Russia work to thwart any real attempt to confront the Iraqi leader. The disarray…appears to have encouraged Mr. Hussein to believe that the United States would never really take him on…
Now time has run out. Now we are on the brink of war. Now the members of the Security Council must decide to disarm a murderous dictator, or let him get away again.
