Bill's Comment Page

President Bush and the 'War on Terrorism'

It's been reported in the past several days that the main players in this effort (mainly the Americans, supported by 'bit-players' such as our own Government) are coming round to the view that removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq, an admirable aim in my view, may require much more lengthy preparation and evaluation [of the potential consequences] than seemed to have been the case only a month or so ago.

Some of those I read regularly, notably Andrew Sullivan (link at right) and Mark Steyn [a Canadian commentator syndicated in a number of newspapers], have been writing that they are disappointed at the apparent change - they would prefer 'tough' action sooner, rather than later, if I have read their comments accurately.

Since his somewhat controversial election President Bush has, I think, confounded many of his critics with his level-headed and measured approach to all manner of things, no doubt guided by the sensible (and rival) advice he receives from various of the people in his administration (Rumsfeld, Powell and Rice, for example). So far as his approach to the post-11th September world is concerned, I would say he has generally been 'spot on' - and the realisation of the implications of trying to unseat Saddam Hussein by force are I think beginning to be considered in a way they have been ignored, it would seem, since last September. I lived in Abu Dhabi during the Gulf War of 1990/1991 and well remember my conflicting emotions when the 'coalition forces' (dominated by the US) decided to observe strictly the terms of the UN resolutions which had authorised them to act to reverse the illegal occupation of Koweit, and not press on to Baghdad in an attempt to topple the Iraqi regime. I thought then, and still think, that this was the best opportunity to achieve this [in physical terms], but on balance I think the then President Bush acted correctly. Despite the public posturing sometimes, of various Western leaders, I think that behind-the-scenes calm reflection made them realise that the forces that could be unleashed were they to remove Saddam Hussein by force were ones that they could not hope to predict or control. I strongly suspect that the current US administration is, quietly, trying to look rationally at the way ahead and to calmly assess the implications of any actions they take.

Andrew Sullivan may rail all he likes at the need to rein in what he calls "Islamo-Fascists", but I consider much of his postings on this subject (in contrast to a lot of other sensible things he writes) to be ignorant and silly, even more than they are partisan. Luckily, his counsels appear to be followed only to a very limited degree by those who matter in the US administration.

Mind you, not all that President Bush has done is [in my ever so humble opinion] sensible - the tariffs on steel imports into the US, for example. On the other hand, for a supposed 'hawk' his rapprochement with the Russians under their current leader, President Putin, seem to show progress can be made - it seems that some economic indicators recently in Russia are better than they have been for some years and perhaps Putin, for all his earlier reputation as a hard-line supporter of the status quo, is the man with the intellectual and managerial skills to profit both his country and the wider world.