08/08/2002 Archived Entry: "War on Iraq: US & Europe"
If you've listened to the hardliners, like Pearle, they've been saying since the beginning of the year that an attack by the US on Iraq is unavoidable, without anything Saddam Hussein could do that would convince us there's no longer any danger coming from Iraq. In order to do so, the US is going to need much stronger support from here, and from Europe. Unfortunately, the looming election in Germany, if Chancellor Schröder loses, will be played out as a referendum vote for attacking Iraq. It won't be, as Schröder will likely lose because of his failed economic policies: Data released Wednesday showed that German unemployment again exceeds four million, contrary to Schroeder's election pledge of 1998.
CNN: In recent months Stoiber has focused on the economic slowdown that forced Schroeder to lower his sights on cutting unemployment. A poll carried out by the Forsa polling institute and published last Wednesday showed the Social Democrats with 35 percent of the vote and the opposition Christian Democrats with 42 percent -- a three-point bigger gap than a week earlier. It gave a margin of error of 2.5 percent.
However, Schröder is attempting to make the election about attacking Iraq, German leader says no to Iraq war, and that presents an opportunity for the likes of Cheney, who know that support is now lacking for such an massive war, both in Europe, Ministers attack US war chaos, and the US, Vague Bush Case for Iraq War Spurs Worry in GOP, Pentagon:
Eventually, Cheney said, the international community will have to "figure out how we're going to deal with this growing threat to peace and stability in the region and obviously potentially to the United States."
Bush/Cheney know that they at least need Blair's support, but so do the Iraqi's, Iraq's secret British plea. There's a rift developing here, between the hardliners in the US, and those in Europe who are looking for resolutions: Blair is privately urging Bush to call Arab-Israeli peace talks before any military action against Iraq, but the White House is resisting. Iraq war 'not inevitable' says UK, maybe.
The NYT's has had a couple of good, bad idea stories on attacking Iraq, Backing Bush All the Way, Up to but Not Into Iraq, by Michael Lanofsky out of Arizona interviews, and Profound Effect on U.S. Economy Is Seen From a War Against Iraq from their Foreign Desk. Here's a WarBlog, Dack.com, whose purpose is to demonstrate the folly of the War On Terror, and Intelligence News Summary is a good news source for opinions out of Europe on the middle east situation.
Replies: 1 Comment
War with Iraq between now and the end of next year would lead to a double dip recession and that would be the end of the Bush Presidency. Twelve years later the next generation of Bush would go down under the same circumstances as his old man did.
Posted by G.C. Raj @ 08/09/2002 09:19 AM PST
