Regardless of how many arguments are given for the reasons behind the growing global hatred of the United States, the fact the world must face today is that America has chosen war.
To most of the people of the world the United States has declared war on Iraq and has put both Iran and North Korea on strong notice. Terms like “warmonger” and “Nazi leader” are covering the front pages of newspapers in every language and are printed on signs carried by angry people across the globe. How did America and its President George W. Bush reach the point where this mighty nation now stands almost alone with an agenda few people really understand?
The answer is quite simply that the United States does not see the war on Iraq and strong warnings to Iran and North Korea as separate issues from its ongoing war on terror; it sees these steps as an extension of its war on terror. Going back to September, 2001 when President Bush addressed Congress, he clearly stated that “every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists”. In February 2002 when he again addressed Congress, he spoke about the now famous “Axis of Evil” referring to Iraq, Iran and North Korea. In that speech he said “all the three countries I mentioned are now on notice that we intend to take their development of weapons of mass destruction very seriously”.
In Tuesday’s State of the Union speech, he said “Iraq will not be allowed to dominate a vital region and threaten the United States”. He stated that in reference to Iran “the United States supports their desire for freedom”. In addressing North Korea he said “America will not be blackmailed and they will receive our support only when they turn away from their nuclear ambitions”. There is a very strong and consistent pattern here of a determined leader and people. I see no deviation from the war on terror campaign beginning with September 2001 up to and including today. The successful capture of over 3,000 terrorists would not have been possible without the full cooperation of every country throughout the world with the obvious exception of Iraq, Iran and North Korea. You cannot divide a final objective into separate parts and the United States is pursuing its war with or without allied support.
In the case of Iran, the US has defined that nation as a state sponsor of terrorism and believes that they are developing weapons of mass destruction. North Korea, who has been rattling their saber lately, is openly pursuing a nuclear missile program and has been willing to export sensitive technology to the highest bidder. This combined with their “support” of terrorism rather than their full cooperation has put them at the forefront of the war but not in the very front. That place currently belongs exclusively to Iraq.
The headline in the newspaper on Nov. 9, 2002 read “UN Council votes to disarm Iraq”, it did not read “UN Council votes to inspect Iraq”. For the American critics, both inside and outside of the US, who are still looking for the “smoking gun” here are a few verified statistics regarding Iraq.
Iraq has nearly four tons of VX nerve agents, a growth media for 20,000 liters of biological warfare agents, 15,000 shells for use in biological warfare and 6,000 chemical warfare bombs still unaccounted for. They have some Al-Hussein missiles with a range of 400 miles that can strike Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran and Kuwait. It is believed they have Scud B missiles and some Al-Samoud missiles that could strike Kuwait and other neighboring countries.
According to a statement President Bush made Tuesday, they have “mobile biological laboratories” that can be moved from location to location. Current intelligence estimates that Iraq has over 360 tons of chemical warfare agents that are unaccounted for and that they have the capacity to produce mustard gas within weeks and nerve agents such as VX, tabun and sarin within months. These agents are frightening in their effectiveness. Mustard gas, if exposed to the skin, causes blistering and burning and when inhaled can cause cancer and serious disfigurement. VX is a clear liquid that attacks the nervous system. A fraction of a drop can cause death within 15 minutes of exposure. Sarin also attacks the nervous system when inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Inhalation can cause death within 1 to 10 minutes. Tabun, if inhaled or absorbed through the eyes or the skin, can kill in as little as one to two minutes.
In addition, intelligence sources say that Iraq is currently able to produce the biological agents anthrax, outline toxin, ricin and aflatoxin; all of which they admit to manufacturing before the 1991 Gulf War. In reference to the Iraqi nuclear program, construction was suspended at the Al-Furat manufacturing facility in 1991 and resumed again in 2001. This facility was originally intended to house a centrifuge enrichment cascade operation supporting Iraq’s uranium enrichment efforts. The Nassr engineering facility was destroyed in the 1998 bombings and has since been rebuilt.
These new buildings are assessed as being capable of producing precision components for centrifuges and missiles.
Iraq now has five different methods to create a nuclear bomb and has recently tried to purchase materials from Africa. President Bush said Tuesday that “trusting Saddam Hussein is not a strategy and it is not an option”. To the critics who oppose this war on moral grounds he said that his message to the Iraqi people was that “your enemy is not surrounding your country, your enemy is ruling your country”. He promised to bring these people “food, medicine, supplies and freedom”.
Regardless of personal or national opinions, the United States of America is at war and is expanding that war into Iraq and possibly beyond. President Bush made this decision and presented it to the American people and to the world in September, 2001. He decided and the American people agreed that not eliminating all global terrorism would leave their country open to another attack and their people living in fear. That freedom from fear has led the United States to decide that for them the price of peace is greater than the cost of war.
— Adrienne McPhail is a free-lance journalist based in Riyadh
Arab News Features 1 February 2003