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Should the U.S. Wage War on Iraq?
by Brian Risman, Publisher, www thelawjournal co uk - 19 August 2002
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The fourth question is -- is there a defined result for this action -- an end point that would justify the action taken?
Not only has evidence not been provided to the world to justify action, but the defined result is not clear. Yes, the goal is ostensibly to eliminate Saddam Hussein. Do you also eliminate his army, his infrastructure? Do you set up a military occupation, or a provisional government? Do you create a power vacuum with Saddam Hussein's elimination that neighbouring countries could -- and would -- exploit? Also, who rules Iraq post-Saddam Hussein?
These are questions that need answers. Without a defined goal -- whether eliminating Saddam Hussein or his army -- support will be hard to develop.
The goal is very important. The wrong result can be devastating. The elimination of the Kaiser in Germany at the end of World War One left a power vacuum in Germany that was quickly filled by young idealistic militarists such as Adolf Hitler. The Yalta agreement near the end of World War Two created an unprecedented situation where the Soviet Union's influence extended deep into Central Europe.
The end point is therefore crucial. It may make sense to eliminate the armed forces -- or it may not, depending on the situation.
I do not pretend to advise on the correct end point. That determination should be made by experts on the region. What is clear, given the above comments, is that the choice of a defined result is not clear -- and that a crucial analysis and decision needs to be made in order to achieve the optimal result.
The problem, however, is that the U.S. media tends to present the Iraqi opposition leaders as 'our guys' when that may not be totally the case. Intelligence services are useless in selecting the appropriate partners and optimal result. After all, they have rarely predicted any major world event such as the fall of communism. What needs to occur, whether military action is the tool or not, is an intelligent analysis in order to ensure -- or at least approximate -- a reasonable or optimal approach to the end result. For if an appropriate end result is determined, the future may have a positive tone -- something rare in the last century.
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