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American war and French fries

By C. Raja Mohan

NEW DELHI March 2. The United Nations Security Council will continue to debate the Gulf crisis this week, but is unlikely to prevent an American war against Iraq within a few days. Two signals put out by the Bush Administration last week suggest that the decision to go to war, irrespective of the debate in the UNSC, has already been taken in Washington.

The first related to military preparations. Although more than 200,000 American troops have been in the Gulf for a while, it is the move to dispatch the 101 Airborne Division, the cutting edge of the American interventions everywhere, into Kuwait this week that suggests the balloon is about to go up.

At the political level, the speech by the U.S. President, George W. Bush, last week confirmed that America will no longer be swayed by the U.N.'s calls for delay or the fresh offers by the Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, to disarm. The Bush Administration is making it clear now that regime change is the goal in Iraq and nor merely disarmament. It is becoming clear that Washington can no longer afford to wait.

The real problem for the U.S. is not the likelihood of a French or Russian veto at the U.N., but the refusal of the Turkish Parliament to back the deployment of American troops. While the U.S. is confident that it can do without the U.N., it cannot say the same thing about Turkey which is the launching pad for the northern thrust of the U.S. troops into Iraq.

Washington has been waiting for weeks for a decision in Ankara. Despite the offer of many inducements, including billions of dollars of grants and the consideration of its interests in the post-Saddam political arrangements in Iraq, Washington has not been able to sway the opinion in Turkey in its favour.

The Bush Administration must now either wait further for a second parliamentary debate in Ankara or decide to move troops and equipment on hold in the Mediterranean waters to Kuwait on the southern frontline.

While American planners say they will get their troops into northern Iraq one way or another, there is no question that the Turkish refusal to cooperate has complicated matters. If there is one factor that could yet delay the war by a few days, it is the question mark over Turkey.

* * *

Baghdad has been adept at exploiting the divisions between American and Europe. But it has not been able to mobilise Arab opinion against the U.S. At the just-concluded Arab League summit in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt, divisions in the region were in full view and could not be papered over.

One group of Arab nations, in particular the smaller neighbours of Iraq, believe war is inevitable and want the region to focus on future political order in Baghdad. The United Arab Emirates openly called for Saddam Hussein's resignation. A second one still hopes to delay if not prevent war by getting Iraq comply with the U.N. demands. A third group is totally opposed to American war.

In the end, a compromise resolution tepidly rejected the use of force but could not ask its members not to assist the U.S. in its war against Iraq. Key neighbours of Iraq — Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia — have all agreed to extend military cooperation to Washington in its war against Baghdad.

* * *

The Arab League summit also saw an exchange of insults between the Libyan leader, Mohammed Gadhafi, and the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. Mr. Gadhafi accused Saudi Arabia of forming "an alliance with the devil", when it asked protection from the U.S. troops in the 1991 Gulf War.

Angrily interrupting the Libyan leader, the Crown Prince Abdullah returned the compliment. Calling Mr. Gadhafi "an agent for colonisers", the Crown Prince advised him "not to get involved in things which are not your business". So much for Arab unity. One immediate consequence of the exchange was the end to live telecasting of the proceedings in Sharm al-Sheikh.

* * *

Americans are known to wear their patriotism on their sleeves. Now they are extending it to menu cards. In an expression of support to their soldiers in the Gulf and resentment against French opposition in the U.N., some restaurants in American backwaters are beginning to rename the popular "French Fries" as "Freedom Fries".

This is rooted in American tradition too. During the First World War, anti-German sentiment led to a number of restaurants renaming German foods such as "Sauerkraut" and "Frankfurters" as "liberty cabbage" and "hot dogs".

Right now American anger against the French remains restrained. But if France vetoes the second resolution in the coming days, expect more from the American heartland and harsher rhetoric from the U.S. Congress for punitive actions against Paris.

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