Editorial

Manufacturing Justification for War

Iraq's unexpected acceptance of United Nations weapons inspectors has left the Bush regime desperately looking for new justifications for pre-emptive strikes and "regime change" in Iraq. As if by magic, the "evidence" immediately began pouring in.

First, British Prime Minister Tony Blair released a British Intelligence dossier to parliament purportedly providing substantial new evidence that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction. However, that document was long on speculation and short on actual evidence, prompting many observers, including British Labour Party MPs, to charge that the "dossier" was nothing more than a public relations gimmick on behalf of George W. Bush. German Prime Minister Gerhard Schroeder was quick to dismiss the "evidence" and reiterate his campaign promise that Germany would not participate in a new war on Iraq, even if authorized by the UN Security Council.

In the face of almost universal international condemnation of the Blair initiative, the Bush regime has come up with what it describes as conclusive new evidence that Iraq is working with the al- Qaida network. It will be recalled that the same claims were made in the immediate aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Centre. However, U.S. intelligence agencies were forced to admit at that time that there was absolutely no evidence that this was the case. When anthrax began appearing in the U.S. mail system, the Bush administration was again quick to accuse the Iraqi government. However, when DNA testing proved conclusively that the anthrax came from a U.S. biological warfare lab, those claims were also dropped and one year later there have still been no arrests.

For almost a year, American and European intelligence agencies have discounted any connection between Iraq and al-Qaida. They have even reported extreme contradictions between them. Now, when it is convenient to the Bush regime's plans for war, we are being asked to forget all of the previous reports and accept the "new evidence" as gospel.

At the same time that the U.S. is manufacturing one justification after another for launching a war of aggression against Iraq, it is also manufacturing consent by the UN Security Council, attempting to push through a Security Council resolution containing new demands that are unacceptable to Iraq. Russia was brought onside, at least partially, by U.S. promises of support for Russia's war against the Chechens. China has similarly been bribed with promises of U.S. support against separatist rebels in its western provinces. Both have been warned that access to Iraqi oil will be denied to them if they refuse to support a harsh U.S.-sponsored UN resolution authorizing force against Iraq for any restrictions on weapons inspectors. In addition to Russia and China, France has expressed objections to any new Security Council Resolution on weapons inspections, insisting that the previous UN resolution is sufficient. It remains to be seen whether these countries will maintain their position in the face of intense American arm twisting.

The U.S. has made it amply clear that it fully intends to invade Iraq, with or without the support of the United Nations or its NATO allies. It has also made it clear that it will not allow the truth to stand in the way of its imperial ambitions. In effect, it has declared itself a rogue state, a state which gives itself the right to commit acts of terror against whomever it pleases. It is this American rogue state and not Iraq which poses the greatest threat to the peace and security of the world.