Iraq and its recent history
Following the Gulf War U.N. weapons inspectors were admitted into the country to inspect sites suspecting of producing weapons of mass destruction. They were kicked out in 1998 and punitive air strikes were launched by the United States and United Kingdom.
The present
11th August, 2002. War is again looming in Iraq. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and government-held evidence of Iraq supporting international terrorism and its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction, the United States is drawing up plans to invade the Arab state, possibly before the year is out.
The U.N. sanctions and no-fly zones to the south of Baghdad are not sufficient, say the U.S. administration. Although Saddam Hussein has offered to let U.N. weapons inspectors and even U.S. teams back into the country, it would be somewhat naive of the Western world to fall for this one again. Quoting U.S. Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld -
"The big thing that was there was the weapon of mass destruction (WMD) issue. And he had agreed, and the UN had agreed that they would - he would not have a WMD programme. We know he does have one. And he is continuing it,"
The U.S. government has set it at as a stated goal to remove the Hussein regime, but no official timetable has being set to do it.
Meanwhile, America's allies are faltering. Over 70% of the American population support the war on Iraq, but the European media is full of criticism on the War on Terrorism. The realities of the September 11 attacks are perhaps not as acutely clear to Europeans as they are to Americans, and falling European defence budgets (the United Kingdom being an exception, although its Chancellor Gordon Brown today announced that the United Kingdom could ill-afford a war) make most of Europe queasy at the thought of toppling Baghdad.
At the end of the day, it is almost inconceivable that America will not go through with the attack, whether her allies are with her or not. To paraphrase an article in today's Sunday Times, all that remains for Europe to decide is if it wants to be "an adult player in this new, dangerous world".