Coming soon: Gulf War II
Editorial
Get ready to bust those little yellow ribbons out of mothballs, folks. It looks like we’re goin’ to war.Yep, the diplomatic headache that is Saddam Hussein just can’t seem to get enough of us.The middle-eastern bad boy we all love to hate grabbed headlines late last month after the announcement that all Americans working for the U.N. Special Commission were to be kicked out of Iraq. The Commission – which is charged with performing weapons inspections and surveillance of Iraqi armaments – was trying to determine whether or not Iraq has complied with orders to destroy all long-range missiles and weapons of mass destruction. A pretty tall order when dealing with a regime that very clearly wishes to add both chemical and nuclear weapons to its arsenal.For its part the United States has played nice for the past couple of weeks, giving Iraq every possible chance to reverse its decision. However, it seems clear to us that Mr. Nice Guy is preparing to exit stage left, to be replaced by unapologetic, gunboat diplomacy. The aircraft carrier USS George Washington steamed through the Suez Canal yesterday, en route to the Persian Gulf and an ultimate rendezvous with the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz as well as dozens of destroyers already in place. Keep in mind that President Clinton has twice ordered limited air strikes against Iraq in the past, and that this is the most American fire-power massed in the region since the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Certainly looks like somebody’s spoilin’ for a fight.And while we understand the unfortunate necessity of possible military action – or even just the threat – when soliciting a diplomatic solution from a nation determined to be less than cooperative, we also urge caution. Advice meant not for diplomats on either side of the conflict, but rather those of us back home.We must avoid being swept up in a nationalistic fervor at all costs. There’s something to be said for rallying around the flag, for displays of solidarity and support of our fighting men and women, but this must not blind us to the human toll of conflict.We cannot allow ourselves to again be managed by our government, fooled into believing that war is faceless and antiseptic, that casualties are nameless, and that conflict has no more real consequences than a video game. Civilian casualties aren’t just “collateral damage,” and “smart weapons” are no more humane than their more conventional counterparts.If military action becomes – to President Clinton – unavoidable, there’s a very real chance that the United States will be forced to go it alone. Even Kuwait, a nation one would feel owes the U.S. its support, has failed to back a military solution. To many, our preoccupation with Hussein smacks of obsession, and quite possibly revenge. But whatever the motivation, we should realize that our case against Iraq is neither black and white, nor without its detractors.We wish diplomats on both sides wisdom and patience, and for our part, pray for a bloodless solution.
