Addendum - How war broke out in Iraq This is the last in a six- part series of articles on how we decide to go to war. To read in order
1. http://radio.weblogs.com/0137954/2004/06/24.html
2. http://radio.weblogs.com/0137954/2004/07/01.html
3. http://radio.weblogs.com/0137954/2004/07/08.html
4. http://radio.weblogs.com/0137954/2004/07/10.html
5. http://radio.weblogs.com/0137954/2004/07/14.html
I believe War breaks out in an emotional moment of those
who make the decision. In most cases
those individuals have made the decision in their minds long ago. I can’t prove
it. I think George W. Bush wanted to go to war long before 9/11. Events came
together, including many he manipulated, to allow him his dream, what has become our national nightmare. Well before Mar 19, 2004, the day of the American-British invasion of Iraq, the two beligerant sides were
threatening to boil over into war.
Hostilities were happening. American Special forces did what they
could to clandestinely prepare the battlefield. Saddam was shooting at British
and American warplanes as they patrolled the no fly zones. The warplanes were
shooting back. Saddam was maintaining what turned out to be his colossal bluff,
that he had weapons of mass destruction and he might use them in his
defense. It never occurred to us that
it was a bluff. We were moving an invasion force into position.
President bush went to the U.N. to ask for a resolution that
would authorize the use of force to remove Saddam Hussein. Because Germany,
France and Russia were against it the security council turned him down leaving
him only with old resolutions that did authorize the use of force in the event
of non-compliance with the inspection regime. He had not complied for five
years, but enough time had passed that it was felt everywhere that another
resolution was necessary.
The U.N. wanted more weapons inspections. The President waited.
Hans Blix came back with inconclusive results and asked for more time.
Our soldiers were up to the line. Our President
was talking tough and sounded like he was itching for a fight. Saddam
must have been counting on the hope that we would not
invade without our allies. What were they thinking in the U.N? America
had created a
situation from which it could not retreat.
The security council either had to come with us and be participating
allies or they had to try and stop us.
They did neither. They could not
seem to fathom that the situation would turn into war if they did
not act. They decided to play no role at all.
It is my belief, unproven, that these supposed allies of ours
were supporting Saddam out of avarice. He owed them all vast amounts of money.
It now comes out that the oil for food program was hugely corrupted. I have
charged that the bribery extended high enough to effect their policy
making. I stick to my charge. If they
were not corrupt and they really believed that the weapons inspectors should
have more time they might have drafted a resolution condemning the U.S. for war
mongering. They might have stopped the
invasion or they might have put their soldiers on the line with us and called
Saddam's bluff, They did nothing useful. Their behavior was shameful and a
black mark on the U.N.
With the American and British troops on the line,
had the
allies joined us in the threat to Saddam, there is the possibility that
he
might have stepped down. But he believed we did not have solidarity
with Russia, France and Germany. He was right. He believed we would be
stopped. He was wrong. The allies, except for Britain did not join us. We all hate that idea that we can go to war on the
emotions of one man or a small group of men and women, but that is the case.
And they had their rationales, the WMD, supposed Iraqi connections with Al
Qaeda, etc.
It shouldn’t have been that moment and it shouldn’t have
been the result of war fever, but although President Bush might have been satisfied if
the show of force drove Saddam out, when Saddam refused to go the fever took
hold. While the security council was still discussing plans for more weapons
inspections we went to war.
I am reminded of those old movie Westerns where a mob in the
town wants to lynch someone, probably the bad guy. But he is protected by the
town Sherrif who looks for help but is refused at every turn. The mob overwhelms him and the “bad guy” is
hanged. Then the town goes back about its business. They all feel safer, but
they know they committed murder and did not create justice.
Melvyn Polatchek
8:14:19 AM 
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