Date:11/04/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/04/11/stories/2003041102991400.htm

International

Friends, not conquerors: Bush

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

NOTHING TO FEAR?: Iraqi girls watch a U.S. Marine in Baghdad on Thursday. — AFP

Washington APRIL 10. Launching a major media campaign, the President, George W. Bush, is telling the people of Iraq that "Your nation will soon be free''; and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, is assuring the local population that coalition forces "are friends and liberators, not conquerors''.

The joint address by the leaders of the United States and United Kingdom to the people of Iraq has been set for 6 p.m. local time in Baghdad and the overall Washington-London campaign is intended not only to assure Iraqis, but to the region of West Asia in general of the objectives of the coalition forces. "The goals of our coalition are clear and limited... The nightmare that Saddam Hussein has brought to your nation will soon be over'', Mr. Bush has said in his address lasting two and a half minutes which has been produced with Arabic sub-titles. "You deserve to live as free people. And I assure every citizen of Iraq: Your nation will soon be free'', the President has said.

The address by Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair is to be beamed from a U.S. C-130 Hercules aircraft flying over the skies of Iraq. Five hours of programming for five days a week has now been scheduled and will include re-broadcast from independent news outlets in the U.S. and Britain. The coalition goals that Mr. Bush has said are "clear and limited'' include ridding Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, ending the present state of things politically, providing security, respecting religious traditions, building a representative government and the creation of a sovereign nation.

During the "fall'' of Baghdad — and one day after the historic day — the Bush administration has been very careful in how it is responding to the evolving scheme of things in Iraq. The White House obviously does not want to be seen having "victory celebrations'' for fear of offending not just the ordinary Iraqis but to all those nations in West Asia which are deeply suspicious of the U.S. and this Republican administration and are stunned at what has come about.

The White House did give a brief glimpse of the reactions of the President, including his response to the statue of Saddam Hussein being brought down on Wednesday. Mr. Bush did not watch the statue being ripped off its pedestal because of the series of meetings he had been attending at the time. But after the meeting, Mr. Bush did watch television for some time. "They got it down'' is what the President is said to have remarked.

Mr. Bush, while being clearly pleased at the turn of events, is said to have told aides that many things could still go wrong. Administration officials are saying that Mr. Bush is not yet ready to address the nation, saying the war is over. He might not have wanted to talk about a "victory'' for the allies but this did not stop his Vice-President, Dick Cheney, who said the fall of Baghdad vindicated the military plans that came under sharp criticism.

"With every day, with every advance of our coalition forces, the wisdom of the plan becomes more apparent'', Mr. Cheney said.