The Hindu : U.S. officials harp on Iraq in talk shows

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 10, 2002

International

International

U.S. officials harp on Iraq in talk shows

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington Sept. 9. Senior members of the Bush administration made use of Sunday talk shows to reinforce the "case" against Iraq with the Vice-President, Dick Cheney, reiterating that the cost of inaction might be "far more costly" than military action now.

The hardliners in the administration spoke on similar lines. "How long are we going to wait to deal with what is clearly a gathering threat against the United States, against our allies and against his own region," asked the President's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice.

The officials harped on the alleged efforts and ability of the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, to acquire nuclear weapons. "Imagine a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It's not 3000; it's tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children," the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, said. And for his part, Mr. Cheney stressed that Mr. Hussein had the technical expertise to design a nuclear weapon and added that intelligence had it that Baghdad was seeking a particular aluminium tube for uranium enrichment.

At least one consignment of such tubes had been intercepted, the Vice-President said.

"We know we have part of the picture and that part of the picture tells us that he is, in fact, actively and aggressively seeking to acquire nuclear weapons."

Top Cabinet officials assert that the Republican administration will implement its foreign policy doctrine, namely carrying out a pre-emptive military strike against any country that the U.S. believes is planning an attack on it. And the Bush administration believes that it has solid evidence that Iraq is indeed planning such an attack.

With barely four days to go before the President, George W Bush, is to address the United Nations, it is being stressed that irrespective of the world body's decision on Iraq, the United States will reserve the right of a unilateral strike.

And this message is being conveyed by the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, who is generally considered a lone voice urging caution in the heated rhetoric of military action against Iraq.

"The President will retain all of his authority and options to act in a way that may be appropriate for us to act unilaterally to defend ourselves," Gen. Powell said, reiterating that weapons inspections were not the main issue, disarmament was.

"Disarmament is the issue. And we will stay focussed on that and we believe that regime change is the surest way to make sure that it's disarmed," the Secretary of State said.

The fact that all the top Cabinet officials on Sunday tried to strengthen the case against Iraq should not come as a surprise as the administration has been working overtime to convince a sceptical nation and the international community that there is actually evidence to act against Mr. Hussein.

However, many senior lawmakers, Republicans included, are not happy about the specifics of the case presented by the administration.

And foreign leaders like the Russian President have reminded Washington that a military strike against Iraq could violate aspects of international law.

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