IT'S WAR, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER
The unanimous UN Security Council Resolution Nov. 8 reintroducing weapons inspectors to Iraq may slightly delay the Bush administration's timetable for an invasion to overthrow the Baghdad government, but a new war appears virtually certain. Just listen to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his senior adviser Richard Perle.
Rumsfeld was asked during an interview Nov. 15, "What if no weapons of mass destruction were found by UN weapons inspectors inside Iraq?" He replied that all "it would prove would be that the inspections process had been successfully defeated by the Iraqis." Thus, if the government of President Saddam Hussein refused to permit the weapons inspectors into the country, it would be proof Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction. If the inspectors have unlimited access to all of Iraq but find nothing, it's proof that Iraq has successfully duped the inspectors.
Perle, who directs the Defense Department's Policy Board, told an audience of Labor Party parliamentarians in London Nov. 20 that just because the weapons inspectors might be unable to find the alleged weapons "does not prove Saddam does not have weapons of mass destruction." He argued that even if the UN gave Iraq "a clean bill of health," the existence of just one Iraqi witness testifying that the weapons did indeed exist was a sufficient justification for the U.S. to take military action without further proof.
These statements indicate that both U.S. officials, who are privy to the world's most sophisticated surveillance and investigative services, are well aware that the Bush administration's charges against Iraq are false. Now they are creating the justification for attacking Iraq if the weapons inspectors find nothing. In all probability, Washington will discover a pretext for launching the new war well before the inspectors have finished their explorations.
Taking a realistic view of the information made available to him so far, Republican insider and former Reagan administration Secretary of State George Shultz said Nov. 20 that "There will be military action. I would be surprised if we have not acted by the end of January." --- Anticipating the possibility that the Bush administration will find a pretext to attack Iraq in January or February, the ANSWER Coalition has scheduled a major antiwar rally, march and peace conference in Washington during the weekend of Jan. 18-19. We're told, "Over 1,500 organizations and individual peace movement leaders and activists have endorsed these events." Buses are being organized from a hundred cities. For buses from the Mid-Hudson, N.Y., region, Email jacdon at earthlink.net or call (845) 255-5779 . From other cities, http://www.InternationalANSWER.org.