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Standing With Saddam

(Washington Post) - Editorial France and Germany have finally responded to Iraq's flagrant violation of UN disarmament orders by mounting an offensive - against the United States. On Monday in Brussels, the two European governments, seconded by tiny Belgium, blocked the NATO alliance from making preparations to defend Turkey in the event of a war, even though the planning was supported by the alliance's 16 other members. Meanwhile, they sought support from Russia for a proposal to increase UN inspectors, although Hans Blix, the chief of the inspection team, said Monday that, "The principal problem is not the number of inspectors but rather the active cooperation of the Iraqi side." One result will be the enfeebling of both NATO and the UN - the very disaster that Germany and France once feared. Only six months ago it was Germany and France that appealed to the U.S. to take the case of Iraqi disarmament to the UN; a year ago they reproached Washington for not involving NATO more in the war against terrorism. With France's support, the Security Council crafted Resolution 1441, which gave Iraq "a final opportunity" to peacefully disarm while making clear that anything short of "full cooperation" at "any time" would forfeit the chance. The Security Council risks a crippling forfeit of its credibility if it backs down now - yet that is exactly what France and Germany propose. Saddam Hussein is trying to create the illusion of cooperation through incremental procedural concessions, such as the reported acceptance Monday of surveillance flights. But there remains no substance. More and more, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder behave as if they share the same overriding goal as the Iraqi dictator: thwarting U.S. action even when it is supported by most other NATO and European nations. They have next to no chance of succeeding, but they could poison international relations for years to come.
2003-02-11 00:00:00
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