Hi Pakistan February 19, 2003
Bush undeterred by global protests
WASHINGTON: US President George W Bush said on Tuesday that global anti-war protests and opposition from some allies to a second UN resolution on Iraq would not stall his push to disarm Saddam Hussein by force if necessary.
"War is my last choice, but the risk of doing nothing is even a worse option. Saddam Hussein is a threat to America and we will deal with him," the US leader told reporters.
Asked about weekend demonstrations world-wide which drew millions of protestors against any US-led war on Iraq, Bush said the crowds were wrong about Saddam and that a true leader must sometimes ignore public opinion. "Size of protest, it's like deciding, well, I'm going to decide policy based upon a focus group. The role of a leader is to decide policy based upon the security -- in this case, the security of the people," he said.
Asked the possible new resolution, Bush said that it would be "useful" but stressed: "We don't need a second resolution. It's clear this guy could even care less about the first." And, prodded on whether any new resolution must include a new ultimatum, the president derided what he said amounted to giving Saddam "another, another, another last chance."
The US leader also expressed optimism that the United States and Turkey will reach agreement on an aid package that would cement Ankara's much-needed support for possible military action against Iraq. "Hopefully, we can come up with an agreement that's satisfactory to both parties. We're still working on it," Bush said after the head of Turkey's ruling party warned Ankara's support hinges on a generous aid package.
The president also expressed support for British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who returned from an emergency EU summit on policy towards Baghdad to find his popularity plummeting over support for Washington. "Any time somebody shows courage, when it comes to peace, the people will eventually understand that," he said.
Bush praised another staunch US ally, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, who will meet the US leader at his Texas ranch this weekend. "I'm looking forward to having a good meeting with him," he said and added Blair and Aznar "are men of vision. They see the task at hand. And I'm proud to call them allies. We'll work together for the sake of peace."
Earlier, Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer said Washington was still working with its allies on a new resolution, calling for the enforcement of the UN's demand that Iraq disarm and that the initiative could be unveiled this week. "It could take place as soon as this week, it could be next week," he said. "The timing will be determined as a result of the ongoing conversations within our government and with the allies," as they decide on specific wording. "It's going to be a relatively simple resolution, not very lengthy," Fleischer said and added: "The message of it is that (UN Security Council resolution) 1441 shall be enforced."
All of Europe -- with the exception of France and Germany -- stands "shoulder to shoulder" with the United States on Iraq, Fleischer said and added "When you look at Europe, with a few exceptions, Germany and France more notably, Europe stands united shoulder to shoulder with the US."
The new text would point out omissions in Iraq's December 8 declaration of its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programmes, he said. It would also quote the finding, reported to the Security Council by chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix, that Iraq has tested a ballistic missile which exceeds the 150-kilometre limit imposed by the council, he added.
Meanwhile, France, which has a veto in the UN Security Council, has said it supports continued UN inspections in Iraq and that it will oppose such a measure. French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin downplayed the talk that France might use its veto. Raffarin said the veto was a "very strategic element" for France that allows Paris to act independently on the world stage. But he said that the current strategy on dealing with the Iraq crisis "consisted of maintaining the unity of the international community."
"We are not pursuing a course of isolation and blockage," Raffarin said when asked whether France would use its veto power. "To the contrary, we are pursuing a course of unity," he added.
Buoyed by weekend demonstrations around the world that attracted millions of people, the anti-war forces are likely to get another boost at the debate that starts on Tuesday afternoon in which nations that aren't on the 15-member Security Council can express their views on the Iraq crisis.
The debate was scheduled at the request of South Africa, which heads the Non-Aligned Movement of 115 mainly developing nations who are overwhelmingly opposed to the war. More than 40 countries have signed up to speak, and the session is not expected to conclude until Wednesday afternoon, when Washington and London are likely to circulate their proposed resolution.
US military officials and analysts say if the United States charges into war with Iraq, the US forces are expected to unsheathe several new weapons and tactics, including devices still under development. They say the new weapons would target Iraqi armored vehicles, communications networks and the chemical and biological weapons the Bush administration believes Iraq still cradles. "The only time you get realistic feedback on new capabilities is during wartime," said Bob Martinage, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a defense think-tank. "The military will take advantage of that time to test new systems," he said.
Once you're engaged and you have a capability that's almost ready, you'll try it," said Clark Murdock, a former Air Force strategic planner now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "All kinds of things have been invented, particularly in the (classified) world, that will be used. If you use it and it works and no one knows, why talk about it?" One key job for US forces is to smash Iraq's military communications networks, especially those controlling ballistic missiles, analysts said.
The Air Force has so-called "bunker busting" bombs designed to penetrate the concrete shelters that often protect such equipment. But if civilians are nearby, the United States may fire a cruise missile tipped with a high-powered electromagnetic-pulse emitter, which fries the electronics without killing the people," said Andrew Koch of Jane's Information Group.
The weapon's massive power surge is supposed to travel through antennas or power cords to wreck any unshielded electronic appliance within a few hundred meters (yards), according to studies cited by GlobalSecurity.org, a research organization.
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