[IMC-bristol] what if any difference?
ivan
ivan at dodosegg.org
Thu, 6 Mar 2003 08:45:44 -0000
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----- Original Message -----=20
From: ivan=20
To: ivan@dodosegg.org=20
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2003 8:44 AM
Subject: what / any difference?
Hold the world in love and light. This proposed war is not inevitable.
peace, breath, love,=20
Peter
http://truthout.org/docs_03/030603E.shtml
Go to Original=20
A War Policy in Collapse=20
By James Carroll=20
Boston Globe
Tuesday 4 March 2003=20
WHAT A DIFFERENCE a month makes. On Feb. 5, Secretary of State =
Colin Powell made the Bush administration's case against Iraq with a =
show of authority that moved many officials and pundits out of =
ambivalence and into acceptance. The war came to seem inevitable, which =
then prompted millions of people to express their opposition in streets =
around the globe. Over subsequent weeks, the debate between hawks and =
doves took on the strident character of ideologues beating each other =
with fixed positions. The sputtering rage of war opponents and the =
grandiose abstractions of war advocates both seemed disconnected from =
the relentless marshaling of troops. War was coming. Further argument =
was fruitless. The time seemed to have arrived, finally, for a columnist =
to change the subject.=20
And then the events of last week. Within a period of a few days, =
the war policy of the Bush administration suddenly showed signs of =
incipient collapse. No one of these developments by itself marks the =
ultimate reversal of fortune for Bush, but taken together, they indicate =
that the law of ''unintended consequences,'' which famously unravels the =
best-laid plans of warriors, may apply this time before the war formally =
begins. Unraveling is underway. Consider what happened as February =
rolled into March:=20
Tony Blair forcefully criticized George W. Bush for his obstinacy =
on global environmental issues, a truly odd piece of timing for such =
criticism from a key ally yet a clear effort to get some distance from =
Washington. Why now?=20
The president's father chose to give a speech affirming the =
importance both of multinational cooperation and of realism in dealing =
with the likes of Saddam Hussein. To say, as the elder Bush did, that =
getting rid of Hussein in 1991 was not the most important thing is to =
raise the question of why it has become the absolute now.=20
For the first time since the crisis began, Iraq actually began to =
disarm, destroying Al Samoud 2 missiles and apparently preparing to =
bring weapons inspectors into the secret world of anthrax and nerve =
agents. The Bush administration could have claimed this as a victory on =
which to mount further pressure toward disarmament.=20
Instead, the confirmed destruction of Iraqi arms prompted =
Washington to couple its call for disarmament with the old, =
diplomatically discredited demand for regime change. Even an Iraq purged =
of weapons of mass destruction would not be enough to avoid war. =
Predictably, Iraq then asked, in effect, why Hussein should take steps =
to disarm if his government is doomed in any case? Bush's inconsistency =
on this point -- disarmament or regime change? -- undermined the early =
case for war. That it reappears now, obliterating Powell's argument of a =
month ago, is fatal to the moral integrity of the prowar position.=20
The Russian foreign minister declared his nation's readiness to =
use its veto in the Security Council to thwart American hopes for a UN =
ratification of an invasion.=20
Despite Washington's offer of many billions in aid, the Turkish =
Parliament refused to approve US requests to mount offensive operations =
from bases in Turkey -- the single largest blow against US war plans =
yet. This failure of Bush diplomacy, eliminating a second front, might =
be paid for in American lives.=20
The capture in Pakistan of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a senior Al =
Qaeda operative, should have been only good news to the Bush =
administration, but it highlighted the difference between the pursuit of =
Sept. 11 culprits and the unrelated war against Iraq. Osama bin Laden, =
yes. Saddam Hussein, no.=20
Administration officials, contradicting military projections and =
then refusing in testimony before Congress to estimate costs and postwar =
troop levels, put on display either the administration's inadequate =
preparation or its determination, through secrecy, to thwart democratic =
procedures -- choose one.=20
In other developments, all highlighting Washington's panicky =
ineptness, the Philippines rejected the help of arriving US combat =
forces, North Korea apparently prepared to start up plutonium =
production, and Rumsfeld ordered the actual deployment of missile =
defense units in California and Alaska, making the absurd (and as of now =
illegal) claim that further tests are unnecessary.=20
All of this points to an administration whose policies are confused =
and whose implementations are incompetent. The efficiency with which the =
US military is moving into position for attack is impressive; thousands =
of uniformed Americans are preparing to carry out the orders of their =
civilian superiors with diligence and courage. But the hollowness of =
that civilian leadership, laid bare in the disarray of last week's news, =
is breathtaking.=20
That the United States of America should be on the brink of such an =
ill-conceived, unnecessary war is itself a crime. The hope now is that =
-- even before the war has officially begun -- its true character is =
already manifesting itself, which could be enough, at last, to stop it.=20
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<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A=20
title=3Divan@dodosegg.org href=3D"mailto:ivan@dodosegg.org">ivan</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=3Divan@dodosegg.org=20
href=3D"mailto:ivan@dodosegg.org">ivan@dodosegg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, March 06, 2003 8:44 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> what / any difference?</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hold the world in love and light. This =
proposed war=20
is not inevitable.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>peace, breath, love, </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Peter</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://truthout.org/docs_03/030603E.shtml">http://truthout.org/do=
cs_03/030603E.shtml</A></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> </FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/063/oped/A_war_policy_in_collap=
seP.shtml"><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2>Go to Original</FONT></A><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2> </FONT></P>
<P> <STRONG>A War Policy in Collapse</STRONG>=20
<BR> By James Carroll =
<BR> =20
Boston Globe</P>
<P> Tuesday 4 March 2003 </P>
<P> WHAT A DIFFERENCE a month makes. On Feb. 5,=20
Secretary of State Colin Powell made the Bush administration's case =
against Iraq=20
with a show of authority that moved many officials and pundits out of=20
ambivalence and into acceptance. The war came to seem inevitable, which =
then=20
prompted millions of people to express their opposition in streets =
around the=20
globe. Over subsequent weeks, the debate between hawks and doves took on =
the=20
strident character of ideologues beating each other with fixed =
positions. The=20
sputtering rage of war opponents and the grandiose abstractions of war =
advocates=20
both seemed disconnected from the relentless marshaling of troops. War =
was=20
coming. Further argument was fruitless. The time seemed to have arrived, =
finally, for a columnist to change the subject. </P>
<P> And then the events of last week. Within a =
period of=20
a few days, the war policy of the Bush administration suddenly showed =
signs of=20
incipient collapse. No one of these developments by itself marks the =
ultimate=20
reversal of fortune for Bush, but taken together, they indicate that the =
law of=20
''unintended consequences,'' which famously unravels the best-laid plans =
of=20
warriors, may apply this time before the war formally begins. Unraveling =
is=20
underway. Consider what happened as February rolled into March: </P>
<P> Tony Blair forcefully criticized =
George W.=20
Bush for his obstinacy on global environmental issues, a truly odd piece =
of=20
timing for such criticism from a key ally yet a clear effort to get some =
distance from Washington. Why now? </P>
<P> The president's father chose to give a =
speech=20
affirming the importance both of multinational cooperation and of =
realism in=20
dealing with the likes of Saddam Hussein. To say, as the elder Bush did, =
that=20
getting rid of Hussein in 1991 was not the most important thing is to =
raise the=20
question of why it has become the absolute now. </P>
<P> For the first time since the crisis =
began,=20
Iraq actually began to disarm, destroying Al Samoud 2 missiles and =
apparently=20
preparing to bring weapons inspectors into the secret world of anthrax =
and nerve=20
agents. The Bush administration could have claimed this as a victory on =
which to=20
mount further pressure toward disarmament. </P>
<P> Instead, the confirmed destruction of =
Iraqi=20
arms prompted Washington to couple its call for disarmament with the =
old,=20
diplomatically discredited demand for regime change. Even an Iraq purged =
of=20
weapons of mass destruction would not be enough to avoid war. =
Predictably, Iraq=20
then asked, in effect, why Hussein should take steps to disarm if his =
government=20
is doomed in any case? Bush's inconsistency on this point -- disarmament =
or=20
regime change? -- undermined the early case for war. That it reappears =
now,=20
obliterating Powell's argument of a month ago, is fatal to the moral =
integrity=20
of the prowar position. </P>
<P> The Russian foreign minister declared =
his=20
nation's readiness to use its veto in the Security Council to thwart =
American=20
hopes for a UN ratification of an invasion. </P>
<P> Despite Washington's offer of many =
billions in=20
aid, the Turkish Parliament refused to approve US requests to mount =
offensive=20
operations from bases in Turkey -- the single largest blow against US =
war plans=20
yet. This failure of Bush diplomacy, eliminating a second front, might =
be paid=20
for in American lives. </P>
<P> The capture in Pakistan of Khalid =
Shaikh=20
Mohammed, a senior Al Qaeda operative, should have been only good news =
to the=20
Bush administration, but it highlighted the difference between the =
pursuit of=20
Sept. 11 culprits and the unrelated war against Iraq. Osama bin Laden, =
yes.=20
Saddam Hussein, no. </P>
<P> Administration officials, =
contradicting=20
military projections and then refusing in testimony before Congress to =
estimate=20
costs and postwar troop levels, put on display either the =
administration's=20
inadequate preparation or its determination, through secrecy, to thwart=20
democratic procedures -- choose one. </P>
<P> In other developments, all =
highlighting=20
Washington's panicky ineptness, the Philippines rejected the help of =
arriving US=20
combat forces, North Korea apparently prepared to start up plutonium =
production,=20
and Rumsfeld ordered the actual deployment of missile defense units in=20
California and Alaska, making the absurd (and as of now illegal) claim =
that=20
further tests are unnecessary. </P>
<P> All of this points to an administration =
whose=20
policies are confused and whose implementations are incompetent. The =
efficiency=20
with which the US military is moving into position for attack is =
impressive;=20
thousands of uniformed Americans are preparing to carry out the orders =
of their=20
civilian superiors with diligence and courage. But the hollowness of =
that=20
civilian leadership, laid bare in the disarray of last week's news, is=20
breathtaking. </P>
<P> That the United States of America should be =
on the=20
brink of such an ill-conceived, unnecessary war is itself a crime. The =
hope now=20
is that -- even before the war has officially begun -- its true =
character is=20
already manifesting itself, which could be enough, at last, to stop it.=20
</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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