Let's hope good sense will prevail in Iraq impasse

THE EDITOR: I would like, through the medium of your paper, to express the following observation.

We experienced two world wars during the 20th century. Where are we heading at the beginning of the 21st century? What do events at the beginning of the 21st century portend? At the moment, the US versus Iraqi impasse is a reality. The world is looking on with bated breath hoping that the result of the impasse would not end in catastrophe. The President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, has become a threat to neighbouring countries in the area. Since after the Kuwait war, Iraq was required to destroy all weapons of mass destruction. Despite the monitoring of this by United Nations inspectors, the Iraqis have managed to circumvent this arrangement. UN inspectors have been in Iraq constantly and have given the latest report regarding the compliance of the Iraqis in this regard. But the latest report has not met the approval of the UN.

The US President Bush is at the forefront to see that President Saddam Hussein who is regarded as a threat to world peace and who cannot be trusted with weapons of mass destruction, be removed from office completely. The Prime Minister of Great Britain Tony Blair, is completely in agreement with President Bush’s policy on Iraq and has despatched military forces to bolster US forces in the Middle East. President Saddam Hussein is now given up to March 17 to comply or face military action. France, Germany, Russia and China are opposed to this, arguing that more time be given to the inspectors to complete their work. There are anti-war demonstrations in many countries and seem to be gaining momentum. Many quarters seem to think that President Bush is intent in removing Saddam Hussein from office whether or not he complies with the UN resolution.

The consensus of opinion is that there should be no war at the moment until the inspectors in Iraq have given their final report. And President Bush should take heed and not rush into war without fully giving the time required for the solving of the impasse. President Bush should remember the Vietnam situation in which the late Walter Lippmann compared the US with the prehistoric monsters who perished because they possessed “great iron teeth with little brain”. Let’s hope that diplomacy and good sense would prevail in this situation and war averted.

DA COSTA MC DONALD
Pt Fortin