What to do with Iraq

[Ed]

It seems to me that, short of war, Saddam simply goes on his merry way. It really is an either or since inspections are a laughable construct, sanctions are reviled and economic pressure is silly with France and Germany trading with them. So, what is to be done short of war?

 

[bangdazap]

Nothing?
There have been plenty of opportunities for the world to act to end the reign of Saddam. CIA helped Saddam gain power in his coup, the world supported him when he invaded Iran by suppling him with WMDs and the US refused to support the rebellion against Saddam after the Gulf war.

Maybe we should just let the inspectors destroy what WMDs there are left (because that's their mission right? not to overthrow Saddam right?) and then just bug the hell out. The sanctions have caused a lot of suffering, weakning the internal opposition and strenghted Saddams regime. Why are you in favor of destroying the inspections regime with an illegitemate mission to overthrow the Iraqi regime? Don't you care about the threat of WMDs?

There are plenty of dictators out there oppressing "their" people. Why is necessary to overthrow Saddam now, at great human cost ("Hiroshima effect" and all)?
An iraqi opposition intellectual living in Sweden, who supports the war, says that he believes Saddam can murder one million americans - you be the judge if that is a reasonable price for installing an american military governor in the Middle East.

This war will speed up the race to gain WMD capability in the third world - it's the only guarante against being invaded by the US. Is it worth it, to tear the world asunder just to get one man?

 

[synaesthesia]

Maybe we should just let the inspectors destroy what WMDs there are left (because that's their mission right? not to overthrow Saddam right?) and then just bug the hell out. The sanctions have caused a lot of suffering, weakning the internal opposition and strenghted Saddams regime. Why are you in favor of destroying the inspections regime with an illegitemate mission to overthrow the Iraqi regime? Don't you care about the threat of WMDs?

Inspectors cannot destroy Saddam's WMD without Saddam's full, unconditional cooperation.

This is not forthcoming. Until it is, they will be running around eating whatever scraps saddam is feeling jolly enough to throw them.

This war will speed up the race to gain WMD capability in the third world - it's the only guarante against being invaded by the US. Is it worth it, to tear the world asunder just to get one man?

Pacificsm has every bit as much potential to tear the world asunder.

But let's ignore that. Let's pretend that if we don't go to war, we'll prance about picking poppies while millions of corpses rot in the desert. Saddam will stop killing and repressing his own people, he'll (of his own initiative) destroy his massive arsenal of lethal weapons and work for the long-term stability in the region.

 

[crackmonkey]

It's also amusing to me that there was no attention paid to the issue of inspections (out of Iraq since '98) until Bush started rattling the saber...
I don't recall a single rally against Saddam, or any solution to the problem of Iraq that wasn't a counter to an American proposal. In short, the peaceniks don't seem to have a problem with Saddam at all.

 

[Ed]

Nothing?
There have been plenty of opportunities for the world to act to end the reign of Saddam. CIA helped Saddam gain power in his coup, the world supported him when he invaded Iran by suppling him with WMDs and the US refused to support the rebellion against Saddam after the Gulf war.

Maybe we should just let the inspectors destroy what WMDs there are left (because that's their mission right? not to overthrow Saddam right?) and then just bug the hell out. The sanctions have caused a lot of suffering, weakning the internal opposition and strenghted Saddams regime. Why are you in favor of destroying the inspections regime with an illegitemate mission to overthrow the Iraqi regime? Don't you care about the threat of WMDs?

There are plenty of dictators out there oppressing "their" people. Why is necessary to overthrow Saddam now, at great human cost ("Hiroshima effect" and all)?
An iraqi opposition intellectual living in Sweden, who supports the war, says that he believes Saddam can murder one million americans - you be the judge if that is a reasonable price for installing an american military governor in the Middle East.

This war will speed up the race to gain WMD capability in the third world - it's the only guarante against being invaded by the US. Is it worth it, to tear the world asunder just to get one man?

I am not sure that I understand your point. I am simply stating that the alternative to ousting him is doing nothing.