Unilateralism in the Face of Weapons of Mass Destruction
The failure to find Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq does not mean they were never there. It does, however, cast doubt on the implied Bush administration assertion that an underdeveloped nation could build and mobilize WMDs stealthily enough to be a credible threat while evading direct detection.
The Bush administration's evidence against Iraq was circumstancial at best. At worst, it was completely made up. They could not pinpoint the location of weapons nor did they have any idea where to start looking.
WMDs require some means of deployment. Suspicious movement by any Iraqi forces would have been detected by the United States and handed to the UN for inspection.
The Bush Administration would have known about a credible WMD threat soon enough to act about it. The relative ease of war in Iraq demonstrates the overwhelming military and intelligence dominance of the United States. There was no danger in letting Iraq stay around for a while longer.
The Bush Administration should have waited to produce a "smoking gun" in the form of real chemical or biological weapons. The UN would have backed a war given that kind of evidence and the reconstruction of Iraq would have had significantly greater legitimacy.
Instead, the Bush Administration pursued a policy of unilateralism and completely undermined international confidence in the UN. Although the "blood for oil" argument relies solely on speculation, it carries a great deal of weight in the Muslim world. Politicians in office should be well aware that appearances mean everything. By proceeding amid suspicions of ulterior motives, the administration further alienated the Muslim world, which will be increasingly important in the war against terrorism.
In short, this war accomplished nothing that could not have been done better and without the same consequences had it been exercised with more disciplined approach. Terrorists have been handed recruiting ammunition, the UN has been rendered useless, and allies have been shoved aside. The dangers that lie ahead are much greater than any threat Iraq could have ever posed.
6/3/03
|
|