2
Opinion
Wednesday, January 16, 1991
The Battalion
Opinion Page Editor
Jennifer Jeffus
845-3314
Ron
Franks
Reader’s Opinion
Blame Hussein
Bush should continue
to act in Persian Gulf
T
-ML he United States of America is justified in its role in the
gulf crisis. I am an advocate of peace, but I realize peace is a precious gift that
must be bought at a very high price.
I, too, am from a Christian-Judeo background, and I hate to see death; but
Fm realistic enough to realize death for many might be the price paid to keep
this world peaceful. I am haunted by the very real possibility that I might lose
my father in the inevitable war on the horizon, but I am comforted by the fact
that he is helping to bring about peace. If you are truly in the "peace-at-any-
price" mentality, you also shoula know that the aggressive behavior on the
part of Iraq must be stopped forever. Saddam Hussein has stated repeatedly
that he will not withdraw from Kuwait; he wishes to continue an occupation
of this country against its will.
Knowing this, how can you pin the blame of the crisis on our country? Is
Bush truly a "fanatic" for not allowing this absurd notion to be an option?
Maybe you'd like to explain to the Kuwaiti citizens exactly why the world has
allowed their country to be swallowed by this ruthless dictator. Get a grip,
pal.
//nr
X he majority of Americans is behind the President in this
time of crisis, and that is as it should be. I am apt to disbelieve
you when you say the United States is salivating over the
prospect of committing atrocities in the pursuit of U.N.
objectives. //
The notion that the United States is "willing to kill and maim for market
priced oil" is moronic. If this was the case, the United States could have
continued to buy oil from conquered Kuwait and Iraq. The entire world
enforcing the embargo against these two countries indicates the crisis is not
about the extra money you have to pay at the pump. If you are looking for
reasons for the gulf crisis, ask Hussein — stop pointing fingers at your own
country. The United Nations will not always coincide with the wifi of the
United States or any nation, for that matter. I sincerely hope Bush wouldn't
back down and let Iraq have its way in the gulf, even if it would have meant
going against a U.N. resolution. The United States must be concerned with its
own interests.
Before you start spouting off about selfishness, U.S. interests include
world peace; this includes stopping aggression by the likes of Hussein.
Fighting for the freedom of another country never has seemed selfish to me,
and I hope we always are in a position to offer help to those in need.
I also believe you are wrong in thinking the government is "turning a deaf
ear ... to its citizens unrest." The majority of Americans is behind the
President in this time of crisis, and that is as it should be. I am apt to
disbelieve you when you say the United States is salivating over the prospect
of committing atrocihes in the pursuit of U.N. objectives. Iknow my father
pretty well, and I'm certain he's not on fire at the prospect of killing other
human beings. How did you come to the conclusion that everyone else is?
The actions being taken by our governmment are necessary, and I'm
certain most of our citizens are supporting what has to be done. Your
demonstrations are useless to those who want peace. Why don't you pack
your picket signs and go protest in Iraq?
I am one of the majority members who is praying for peace. I hope Iraq
will choose to leave Kuwait, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.
War will be catastrophic, but letting Saddam Hussein wipe Kuwait off the face
of the map would be the greatest catastrophy of all.
Ron Franks is a freshman business major.
MAJSawes
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THE pacoRD
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Crisis remains questionable
T
X h
he Bush Administration
appears to be in a tremendous hurry to
use force to ensure an Iraqi withdrawal
from Kuwait.
However, as the administration
rushes into what promises to be a
bloody and bitter conflict, too many
questions still remain unanswered.
What were the official reasons for
initiating the troop buildup? In
President Bush's words: "The
acquisition of territory by force is
unacceptable."
Stirring words Mr. President, but
words which nonetheless fail to
conceal the true motives behind your
actions. In recent history, nations have
adopted the same methods used by
Saddam Hussein.
Has the President forgotten the
Israeli invasion of Lebanon? The
Chinese invasion of Tibet? The
Indonesian invasion of East Timor?
How did the United States respond
then?
The most clear-cut evidence of
double standards employed by the
Bush Administration lies in the calm
American acceptance of the Syrian
occupation of Lebanon.
Elias Hrawi's puppet regime could
overcome General Aoun's forces only
with the sustained use of Syrian air
power. In the past, the United States —
acting through Israel — never has
allowed such a massive use of the
Syrian air force in Lebanon, a country
Hafiz Assad has coveted for years.
Instead of condemning the invasion.
President Bush practically endorsed
the Syrian action by remaining silent.
By trading Lebanon for Kuwait,
President Bush has committed a giant
blunder. Assad's human-rights record
is appalling — in 1982, for instance,
Syrian forces murdered thousands of
civilians by crushing a fundamentalist
challenge to the Assad government,
which almost completely destroyed
Syria's second largest city in the
process.
The removal of Saddam Hussein
from the scene would leave Hafiz
Assad virtually unchallenged in the
entire Middle East — a prospect which
has frightening implications for the
security of that region.
President Bush did not explain to the
American people the true reasons for
his actions. The President said
Americans troops will take up
defensive positions in Saudi Arabia,
adding that they were sent " ... to assist
Sarang
Shidore
Columnist
the Saudi government in the defense of
his homeland."
The unstated objective — but
implicitly hinted at numerous times by
James Baker — was to protect the
American economy from an energy
crisis.
The first objective already has been
realized. Hundreds of thousands of
troops from 28 nations stand eyeball to
eyeball with the Iraqi war machine. An
Iraqi offensive against the Saudis can
safely be ruled out.
The second objective also has been
more or less uncovered. True, Iraq now
controls 20 percent of the world's oil
reserves, but the shortfall in supply
already has been compensated py
excess production from other OPEC
countries — chiefly Saudi Arabia.
There is no reason to expect the
situation to change for tne worse in the
immediate future.
/
ronically, war itself
probably would drive up oil prices to
more than $80 a barrel. It is estimated
that war with Iraq probably will cost at
least $50 billion in addition to
thousands of American lives.
Make no mistake, there is a case for
using the military option in the gulf.
Saddam Hussein stands unanimously
condemned by the entire international
community for his invasion and
occupation of peaceful Kuwait.
The point is that neither moral
considerations nor oil are the reasons
behind the administration's haste to go
to war.
It can be speculated that the real
American motives are far more subtle.
As the Cold War ends, the United
States finds itself more a spectator than
a player in the game of international
politics. American influence on world
events is waning, and this galls the
administration.
Instead of regaining this influence by
other means, America is attempting to
use what it has always used with the
greatest costs and the least returns —its
military.
President Bush hopes a quick
surgical gulf operation would restore
Americans stature in the international
community as a power to be reckoned
with.
The administration also considers
the crisis as a matter of prestige for the
United States. Having once deployed
troops, it fears America will lose face,
and the anti-Iraq coalition would
crumble unless action is taken soon.
President Bush won wide admiration
forputting together a coalition which
includes virtually all U.N. members.
Now that Saddam Hussein is under
siege, the administration must be
patient.
Before invading Kuwait, the
President must clearly prove that
sanctions totally have failed to paralyze
Iraq's economy. This will take time but
is the only sensible option.
The administration so far has
provided no hard evidence to prove the
sanctions are not working. No one
expects Iraqis to starve — the best we
can hope for is a near-total paralysis of
its industrial and military capabilities.
At the same time, the administration
must accept that in the past it
consistently has chosen to ignore the
U.N. resolutions on Palestine and has
pursued a flawed policy in the Middle
East.
A formal apology is insufficient;
Israel must be pressured immediately
to begin talks on the creation of a
Palestinian state in the occupied
territories. This will take unusual
courage.
The United States, with a massive
aid program to Israel, is in the best
position to use influence beneficially. If
the Soviets could apologize for their
past actions in Afghanistan, so can w^.
Besides, a resolution of the
Palestinian issue will tremendously
weaken Saddam's position among the
Arab masses and will deny him the fig
leaf of Palestine, which he has so
successfully used to turn the world's
attention away from his aggression.
Then by Spring 1992, if Saddam
shows no sign of withdrawing his
forces, a military option is the only
alternative.
For the time being, however.
Operation Desert Shield must remain
just that — a shield.
Any attempts to turn it into a sword
can only backfire.
Sarang Shidore is a graduate student in
aerospace engineering.
the itch
by Nito