On Uncle Sam vs the world<\/p>\n
I refer to the letter by David Wallis titled Uncle Sam vs the
\nworld published in The Jakarta Post on Sept. 1.<\/p>\n
This aptly titled letter is a sad reflection of the state of
\nU.S. relations with, not all, but much of the world. The U.S.
\nadministration garnered little support for the second Iraq war
\nbecause the U.S. could not convince the majority of nations of
\nthe rightness of its cause nor how best to deal with the
\nacknowledged problem of the regime in Iraq.<\/p>\n
Informed commentators gave ample warning, before the fact,
\nthat war with Iraq would intensify global terrorism rather than
\ndecrease it. Events in post-war Iraq have proven them correct.<\/p>\n
After all the prewar U.S.\/UK distortions of the facts about
\nIraq, Wallis is left with the feeble justification that Saddam
\nwas \"a known and despised dictator\". Well, that he was, but that
\nis all he was. He was not within decades of producing a nuclear
\ndevice, certainly not capable -- within 45 minutes or even 45
\ndays -- of deploying weapons of mass destruction and he was not
\naiding and abetting terrorism.<\/p>\n
The modern world is still littered with \"known and despised
\ndictators\", many of whom were strengthened by U.S. support,
\nincluding Saddam Hussein. Witness the U.S. struggle with post-
\nRevolutionary Iran, in which Saddam was a tacitly supported ally.
\nOr even closer to home General Noriega in Panama, who was in the
\nemploy of the CIA for years before his excesses became untenable.<\/p>\n
Indonesians need look no further than the kleptocracy of
\nformer president Soeharto, whose invasion of East Timor occurred,
\nsurprise, surprise, immediately following U.S. secretary of state
\nKissinger's departure from Indonesia. That invasion took almost
\n30 years to rectify, let's hope the people of Iraq are better
\nserved.<\/p>\n
In this post-Cold War world, the sooner the U.S. stops playing
\nthe world's bumbling policeman, the better for us all. Guts and
\nmoney as well as lives are wasted without a valid cause, a viable
\npost-war plan and a workable exit plan. Lacking these the only
\nthing likely to get close to Wallis' mouth is his own foot.<\/p>\n
The best way forward for Iraq is through a well supported UN
\nadministration. Or would that get in the way of thriving U.S. big
\nbusiness in Iraq?<\/p>\n
ALLAN ROWBOTTOM
\nSanur, Bali<\/p>",
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