Bush warmongering against Iraq continues
US President George W. Bush is hell-bent on waging war on Iraq, with or without support. He obstinately demands the overthrow of Saddam Hussein whom he portrays as a butcher and a threat to world peace and civilization.
Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell have been coercing the United Nations (UN) to immediately issue a new resolution allowing the US to attack Iraq if the latter refuses to abide by the UN�s resolutions. Bush has also filed a resolution at the US Congress pushing for military action against Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has set the deadline for passing the resolution before the November 5 elections.
Bush has been acting like a bully in disregarding UN processes. On September 26, US and British warplanes bombed two civilian airports in southern Iraq because the area was allegedly within the �no-fly zone� forcibly imposed by the US and United Kingdom (UK) in 1991.
Bush also dismissed as a �mere tactic� Iraq�s declaration on September 17 allowing the entry of UN weapons inspectors, which used to be what the US demanded. Iraq has also promised the inspectors full freedom to investigate.
Iraq�s decision was in accordance with the desire of the majority of UN members. Its aim is to belie US accusations that it was mass producing weapons of mass destruction.
Narrow base of support
Last year, Bush and the militarists exploited the grief and anger of the American people in the wake of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He was immediately able to gather the support of congress and public opinion for waging a �war against terrorism� and for armed aggression against Afghanistan. But the American people and peoples the world have in time, grown to realize the madness of the Bush doctrine.
Support started to dwindle when the �war against terrorism� was escalated beyond Afghanistan. The US became isolated when it threatened that any country that was not for this war would be considered an enemy. US isolation worsened with its warmongering against Iraq.
�No to War!� was the cry of growing numbers of the American people. �Adventurism� was German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder�s severe criticism of Bush�s plans to attack Iraq. For France, Russia and China, the inspection of the so-called weapons of mass destruction will suffice for now. The Arab League, on the other hand, gravely fears the outbreak of massive turmoil due to US plans to attack Iraq. Meanwhile, US allies Canada and Indonesia have said that they have no desire to be involved in this war.
Only UK Prime Minister Tony Blair�and the ever-reliable puppet Macapagal-Arroyo�are outrightly supporting Bush.
Despite wides-pread opposition to a war against Iraq, Bush has ordered the US military�s high command as well as the Central Intelligence Agency to make arrangements for military cooperation with Qatar and the stationing in that country of 1,000 troops from the US Central Command.
This is aside from 5,000 armed troops at the Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia and the 30,000-strong Tank Division already stationed in Kuwait. Up to 250,000 American troops are also reportedly in the Persian Gulf now. A hundred thousand troops will likewise reportedly assault Iraq.
Bush�s motives
Bush is hurriedly preparing to attack Iraq in accordance with his �first strike policy� even before he could come up with any solid basis for his allegations that the Iraqi government has links with the terrorist al Qaida or harbors and produces weapons of mass destruction. Why does Bush hate Iraq so much?
Bush�s real and biggest motive is to find a way out for desperate American monopoly capitalists who are up to their necks in problems due to the collapse of the stock market, the outbreak of big corporate anomalies and the unrest that besets the American people as a result of years of recession. If these problems remain unresolved, Bush�s Republican Party will be jeopardized in the November polls.
The Bush government hopes to pump-prime the economy through the production of war materiel. Bush is set to pour in up to $379 billion for the production of military equipment. In addition, Bush has also allocated $50 billion for the �war against terrorism.�
The planned attack on Iraq has particular relevance for the US. As Iraqi officials have said, �the US wants to control our oil.� Iraq is second only to Saudi Arabia in the vastness of its oil reserves. It is these 12 billion barrels of oil reserves that the US and other imperialists covet.
The US is fuming mad due to Iraq�s assertions of independence. Bush eagerly desires to overthrow Iraq to set up a regime that will favor US policy dictates.
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