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The widening Atlantic: Iraq split points to far deeper divisions
(The Guardian, February 11, 2003)
Amid talk of Nato's imminent disintegration, transatlantic trench warfare and the UN's collapse into League of Nations oblivion, it is vital to stay focused on the issue from which these disputes directly stem: US plans to wage war on Iraq. . . . Recent public recriminations and yesterday's Nato row over Turkey show how broadly damaging and divisive the Iraq issue is. This makes it even more important, not least for Britain, to agree an Iraq policy that most, if not all, can support. . . . It is now plain that Mr Bush and Tony Blair have largely failed to persuade Europe, the Arab world (and many Americans) that there is no alternative to the early use of pre-emptive force. It is evident that the objection of France, Germany, Russia and China to a premature aborting of UN inspections is but the tip, to use Hans Blix's metaphor, of an iceberg of popular opposition. It is condescending to imply, as Mr Blair seems to, that people have not understood what is at stake. They do. . . . The US was wrong to dismiss out-of-hand the Franco-German proposals for expanded inspections. If Colin Powell believes inspections, enhanced or not, can never work, then why did the US back them last autumn? Perhaps it really is all a US charade, as Iraq suspects. It is dishonest to urge a second UN vote authorising force yet simultaneously vow to attack if one is not agreed. . . . There is no dispute about the need for Iraq to disarm. The argument is about the best means to attain that aim. The US and Britain must persevere down the UN route of intensified inspections, containment and diplomatic pressure. At present, this is a reasonable alternative to war. But it is also a unifying policy that most UN, Nato and EU states and most people can rally behind. Plainly, bridging these divisions is greatly in Britain's interest. Equally, if the US presses on regardless, Mr Blair may soon have to decide where his interest lies: following Mr Bush or leading the British people.

posted by LoZo 1:46 PM