When was the last time China, Russia and France all agreed on a
topic of international policy? Diplomats and war hawks alike should
take notice.
Although all three countries have become a nuisance to President
Bush’s “we’re going to war” campaign, each
has a valid point about impending actions taken in relation to
Iraq. Despite its wishes for these nations to comply with its
campaign, the United States should take into account the relatively
reasonable demands these three members of the U.N. Security Council
are placing on it and Britain.
The French have long been somewhat ridiculed by the
international community as a self-involved country. However, the
French at the moment seem to have the most reasonable and
non-reactionary outlook on Iraq. While Bush is practically ready to
launch a full scale attack, France’s approach is much more
reasonable.
The United States and Britain are said to be drafting one
all-encompassing resolution with provisions for the use of force
within seven days given non-compliance.
Seven days? One week? With the way this process has been moving,
stipulation will almost guarantee war. France’s proposal
allows for two U.N. Security Council resolutions: one with
provisions for a return of weapons inspectors, and the other with
grounds to use of force if Iraq does not comply satisfactorily.
Both the Chinese and the Russians agree diplomatic channels should
be used until they are exhausted; only then should war be an
option.
It takes little more than an example of elementary school
hijinks to know what the right instinct is here. If there are
rumors the big class bully has plans to start a fight with you,
will you immediately go confront him alone? No, you will make a
concerted effort to separate rumors from fact, investigate the
threats, attempt to settle in a non-violent manner, and then gather
your friends together to help make sure you win whatever
confrontation arises. Why would you want to get into a fight when
you don’t have to?
This little kid mentality, although admittedly over-simplified,
provides a guide to common sense. A concept which, for the most
part, appears to be lacking throughout most of American
officials’ reasoning behind their actions. Why go it alone
when you can have friends along to help you? Friends provide
backup, assistance and different viewpoints on important issues
such as this one. Why does the Bush administration seem so
determined to isolate the United States from the common sense of
having allies when it would be easy to include the rest of the
world in the decision-making?
There is an undeniable problem here. Perhaps all the rumors are
true, and Saddam the menace really does have weapons of mass
destruction he intends to use at some point. But what happens if
the United States attacks Iraq unilaterally and unintended
consequences ensue? What if Iraq then invades Israel, Israel
attacks back, and suddenly the entire Middle East is at war?
This conflict would most likely pit the United States and Israel
against all of the Arab countries in the region and could well
divide the whole world. Not only would the United States’ oil
interests be threatened, but it would most likely alter the entire
balance of world power. Would the United States then expect its
former allies, such as France or Russia (whose support is tenuous
on the best of occasions), to fully support it when they were
originally ignored?
Everyone supposedly has the same objective here: make sure Iraq
does not possess weapons of mass destruction and ensure it has no
means of attaining them. The United States should stop pushing war
so adamantly and listen to its friends at the United Nations
““ they might have good proposals or alternatives.
There is no need to lay off the pressure the United States has
placed on Iraq; it should remain. However, this pressure should
lead progressive steps, the next of which is the return of weapons
inspectors. If the United Nation fails to act, that is one thing.
But as long as the U.N. Security Council is still actively pursuing
the issue, the United States should show deference to the
international community in trying to avoid war.