IRAQ – SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Prepared by Mike Treen for Global Peace and Justice that must make any nation nervous he declared: “When Auckland. we speak of making the world more safe, we do so not Is a war against Iraq a real only in the context of Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, but nations that have proven themselves to be possibility? bad neighbours and bad actors.” Speaking more like Unfortunately the US is on a determined course a small-time gangster, Bush told Time magazine: towards war that can only be stopped by a massive “We’re taking him out.” international movement of opposition. The US administrations actions are directly opposed Following September 11, the US government has to international law. Article 2(4) of the UN Charter been promoting a “first strike” strategy against any States: “All members shall refrain in their international country they regard as a threat. At first this was relations from the threat or use of force against the confined to states deemed to harbour or assist those territorial integrity or political independence of any the US define as terrorists, but it now includes states state”. At the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal after that have or may acquire the ability to develop World War II, the US representative, Robert Jackson, “weapons of mass destruction”. said: “To initiate a war of aggression…is not only an Iraq occupies first place in the queue because of its international crime, it is the supreme international strategic place in the Middle East which is home to crime differing only from other war crimes in that it two-thirds of the world’s known oil supplies. The contains within itself the accumulated evil of the central advisers to President Bush have been pushing whole.” for a renewed war for the past 11 years to “finish the job” begun by his father in the 1991 Gulf War . What evidence is there that the US This policy was spelt out July 1 by Bush in a speech is preparing for war? to the West Point Military Academy: “If we wait for On June 16 the Washington Post reported that Bush threats to fully materialise we will have waited too long. “signed an intelligence order directing the CIA to We must take the battle to the enemy.” He added all undertake a comprehensive covert program to topple Americans “must be ready for pre-emptive action when Saddam Hussein, including authority to use lethal force necessary”. On July 8 he specified Iraq and said “it is to capture the Iraqi president.” The order directs the the stated policy of this government to have a regime CIA to increase support for Iraqi opposition groups change in Baghdad” and vowed to “use all the tools at and forces inside and outside Iraq, including with our disposal to do so”. On August 10 he repeated that money, weapons, equipment, training, and intelligence Iraq is “an enemy until proven otherwise”. In words information, reported Robert Woodward. US Government officials were quoted as saying the Outgoing secretary of defence William Powell told operations should be viewed largely as “preparatory” incoming President Bush in January 2001 that “Iraq to a military strike so “the agency can identify targets, no longer poses a military threat to its neighbours”. intensify intelligence gathering on the ground in Iraq, Vice-President Cheney told CNN in March 2001: “I and build relations with alternative future leaders and don’t believe [Saddam Hussein] is a significant military groups if Hussein is ousted.” threat today.” The Pentagon has placed record orders for This assessment confirmed that by Scott Ritter, munitions, prompting US weapon-makers to double former chief inspector of the UN Special Commission their production of laser-guided bombs, add new shifts in charge of disarmament. He said in 1999: “From a of workers on assembly lines for satellite-guided bomb qualitative standpoint, Iraq has been disarmed. Iraq tail kits, and raise ammunition production at one factory today possesses no meaningful weapons of mass to its highest level in 15 years. destruction.” Special drills by the US First Marine Expeditionary Iraq continues to allow inspections of its nuclear Force have begun in preparation for battles in deserts facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and mountains. Washington has been reinforcing a which has reported that there is no evidence of renewed string of military bases and airfields throughout the nuclear weapons development. Persian Gulf region. It has built a 15,000 foot runway From 1991 to 1998 Iraq was subject to 9000 in Qatar, the longest in the Middle East, to handle the inspections and Ritter said in March this year that air force’s largest transport planes. “never once could we state we had evidence or proof On August 16 The Herald (Scotland) reported: “The that Iraq was in possession of prohibited weapons.” Pentagon has moved 50,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen “The major factories that produced weapons of and marines within striking distance of Iraq in the last mass destruction were identified and destroyed. The 10 months under cover of deployments targeting global production equipment associated with the manufacture terrorism, according to senior UK military sources. of weapons of mass destruction was identified and “The quiet buildup includes the presence of up to destroyed. The vast majority of the weapons produced five nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, each with an by these factories were identified and destroyed. This attack force of between 70 and 80 jets ... There are also means that [in 1998] Iraq was no longer capable of several US marine expeditionary forces, infantry producing biological or chemical weapons, or nuclear battalions backed up by helicopter gunships, tanks and weapons or long-range ballistic missiles. armoured personnel carriers, embarked on special “Even if Saddam wanted to rebuild these weapons assault ships in and around the Indian Ocean and Persian programs, he doesn't have the ability to. Because of Gulf. Other major contingents are located in Qatar and the economic sanctions, he doesn't have the money or Oman, with land-based fighters at airbases in Turkey access to the technology. He no longer has the industrial and Kuwait.” infrastructure. This industrial infrastructure lends itself Bombing in the so-called “no-fly” zones of Southern to detection by the very capable intelligence and Northern Iraq established after the 1991 war capabilities - not only of the US but the rest of the (covering 60% of the country’s territory) were stepped world. And nobody has detected such capability. up in July and Defence Scretary Rumsfeld said they “But what is clear is that the US has a policy that is could be expected to continue “on a weekly basis”. more focused on the removal of Saddam Hussein than The US has been building up its military arsenal the elimination of his weapons of mass destruction. despite the end of the so-called “ Cold War” for precisely Weapons inspections were convenient to the US only this sort of war. Last year there was $US839 billion in so far as they assisted in their efforts to isolate, contain military expenditure worldwide. The US comprises less and destabilize Saddam Hussein. The second the than 5% of the world’s population, but its defence budget inspectors can account for Iraq's weapons, that they equals 36% of this worldwide sum. This year’s military can certify that Iraq no longer has viable weapons budget of $351 billion is roughly equal to the combined programs-that's when the U.S. will manipulate the amount allocated for defence by the 15 highest spenders process [by] using the inspectors to deliberately outside the US. Post September 11Washington provoke confrontation and crisis and to spy on Iraq.” announced plans to increase its military spending by a The Pentagon admits that Iraq’s current armed massive $45 billion next year rising to $500 billion by forces are one-third their strength prior to 1991 and 2007. The US will soon spend more on the military than military spending is one-tenth the level of the 1980s. all other countries in the world combined. Not one of Iraq’s neighbours who are supposed to be “threatened” by Hussein has publicly supported the Isn’t it true that Iraq is building US war moves and in March this year the 22-nation “weapons of mass destruction”? Arab League (including Kuwait) unanimously passed US President Bush and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are openly preparing for a new war against Iraq a resolution opposing any attack on Iraq and calling Nations.” Three of the five permanent members of for the lifting of economic sanctions. the UN Security Council (France, Russia and China) Then why were the UN weapons opposed the withdrawal. Iraq has said it will allow the inspectors to return inspectors “expelled” ? but they want assurances to prevent manipulation and Contrary to many media reports, the inspectors were a timetable for the end of sanctions. This is deemed by never “expelled” from Iraq. They were withdrawn on the US to be unacceptable and they insist the return be December 15, 1998 at the urging of the US to justify a without conditions. massive bombing offensive that began the following In fact the US says inspections are irrelevant to their day. goal of “regime change”, which will continue Rolf Ekeus, the Swedish diplomat who headed the regardless. On May 5, US Secretary of State Colin UN inspections from 1991-97, said there was no doubt Powell said: “US policy is that, regardless of what the the US manipulated the inspection process for its own inspectors do, the people of the region would be better purposes.