Conghaileach
16th March 2003, 02:00
Chomsky: The case against U.S. adventurism in Iraq
Noam Chomsky
Published March 13, 2003
http://www.startribune.com/stories/562/3748171.html
The most powerful state in history has proclaimed that it intends to
control the world by force, the dimension in which it reigns supreme.
President Bush and his cohorts evidently believe that the means of
violence in their hands are so extraordinary that they can dismiss
anyone who stands in their way.
The consequences could be catastrophic in Iraq and around the world.
The United States may reap a whirlwind of terrorist retaliation -- and
step up the possibility of nuclear Armageddon.
Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and company are committed to an
"imperial ambition," as G. John Ikenberry wrote in the
September/October issue of Foreign Affairs -- "a unipolar world in
which the United States has no peer competitor" and in which "no state
or coalition could ever challenge it as global leader, protector and
enforcer."
That ambition surely includes much expanded control over Persian Gulf
resources and military bases to impose a preferred form of order in the
region.
Even before the administration began beating the war drums against
Iraq, there were plenty of warnings that U.S. adventurism would lead to
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as terror, for
deterrence or revenge.
Right now, Washington is teaching the world a dangerous lesson: If you
want to defend yourself from us, you had better mimic North Korea and
pose a credible threat. Otherwise we will demolish you.
There is good reason to believe that the war with Iraq is intended, in
part, to demonstrate what lies ahead when the empire decides to strike
a blow -- though "war" is hardly the proper term, given the gross
mismatch of forces.
A flood of propaganda warns that if we do not stop Saddam Hussein today
he will destroy us tomorrow.
Last October, when Congress granted the president the authority to go
to war, it was "to defend the national security of the United States
against the continuing threat posed by Iraq."
But no country in Iraq's neighborhood seems overly concerned about
Saddam, much as they may hate the murderous tyrant.
Perhaps that is because the neighbors know that Iraq's people are at
the edge of survival. Iraq has become one of the weakest states in the
region. As a report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
points out, Iraq's economy and military expenditures are a fraction of
some of its neighbors'.
Indeed, in recent years, countries nearby have sought to reintegrate
Iraq into the region, including Iran and Kuwait, both invaded by Iraq.
Saddam benefited from U.S. support through the war with Iran and
beyond, up to the day of the invasion of Kuwait. Those responsible are
largely back at the helm in Washington today.
President Ronald Reagan and the previous Bush administration provided
aid to Saddam, along with the means to develop weapons of mass
destruction, back when he was far more dangerous than he is now, and
had already committed his worst crimes, like murdering thousands of
Kurds with poison gas.
An end to Saddam's rule would lift a horrible burden from the people of
Iraq. There is good reason to believe that he would suffer the fate of
Nicolae Ceausescu and other vicious tyrants if Iraqi society were
not devastated by harsh sanctions that force the population to rely on
Saddam for survival while strengthening him and his clique.
Saddam remains a terrible threat to those within his reach. Today, his
reach does not extend beyond his own domains, though it is likely that
U.S. aggression could inspire a new generation of terrorists bent on
revenge, and might induce Iraq to carry out terrorist actions suspected
to be already in place.
Right now Saddam has every reason to keep under tight control any
chemical and biological weapons that Iraq may have. He wouldn't provide
such weapons to the Osama bin Ladens of the world, who represent a
terrible threat to Saddam himself.
And administration hawks understand that, except as a last resort if
attacked, Iraq is highly unlikely to use any weapons of mass
destruction that it has -- and risk instant incineration.
Under attack, however, Iraqi society would collapse, including the
controls over the weapons of mass destruction. These could be
"privatized," as international security specialist Daniel Benjamin
warns, and offered to the huge "market for unconventional weapons,
where they will have no trouble finding buyers." That really is "a
nightmare scenario," he says.
As for the fate of the people of Iraq in war, no one can predict with
any confidence: not the CIA, not Rumsfeld, not those who claim to be
experts on Iraq, no one.
But international relief agencies are preparing for the worst.
Studies by respected medical organizations estimate that the death toll
could rise to the hundreds of thousands. Confidential U.N. documents
warn that a war could trigger a "humanitarian emergency of exceptional
scale" -- including the possibility that 30 percent of Iraqi children
could die from malnutrition.
Today the administration doesn't seem to be heeding the international
relief agency warnings about an attack's horrendous aftermath.
The potential disasters are among the many reasons why decent human
beings do not contemplate the threat or use of violence, whether in
personal life or international affairs, unless reasons have been
offered that have overwhelming force. And surely nothing remotely
like that justification has come forward.
Noam Chomsky is a political activist, professor of linguistics at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of the bestseller "9-
11." He wrote this article for the New York Times Syndicate
Noam Chomsky
Published March 13, 2003
http://www.startribune.com/stories/562/3748171.html
The most powerful state in history has proclaimed that it intends to
control the world by force, the dimension in which it reigns supreme.
President Bush and his cohorts evidently believe that the means of
violence in their hands are so extraordinary that they can dismiss
anyone who stands in their way.
The consequences could be catastrophic in Iraq and around the world.
The United States may reap a whirlwind of terrorist retaliation -- and
step up the possibility of nuclear Armageddon.
Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and company are committed to an
"imperial ambition," as G. John Ikenberry wrote in the
September/October issue of Foreign Affairs -- "a unipolar world in
which the United States has no peer competitor" and in which "no state
or coalition could ever challenge it as global leader, protector and
enforcer."
That ambition surely includes much expanded control over Persian Gulf
resources and military bases to impose a preferred form of order in the
region.
Even before the administration began beating the war drums against
Iraq, there were plenty of warnings that U.S. adventurism would lead to
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as terror, for
deterrence or revenge.
Right now, Washington is teaching the world a dangerous lesson: If you
want to defend yourself from us, you had better mimic North Korea and
pose a credible threat. Otherwise we will demolish you.
There is good reason to believe that the war with Iraq is intended, in
part, to demonstrate what lies ahead when the empire decides to strike
a blow -- though "war" is hardly the proper term, given the gross
mismatch of forces.
A flood of propaganda warns that if we do not stop Saddam Hussein today
he will destroy us tomorrow.
Last October, when Congress granted the president the authority to go
to war, it was "to defend the national security of the United States
against the continuing threat posed by Iraq."
But no country in Iraq's neighborhood seems overly concerned about
Saddam, much as they may hate the murderous tyrant.
Perhaps that is because the neighbors know that Iraq's people are at
the edge of survival. Iraq has become one of the weakest states in the
region. As a report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
points out, Iraq's economy and military expenditures are a fraction of
some of its neighbors'.
Indeed, in recent years, countries nearby have sought to reintegrate
Iraq into the region, including Iran and Kuwait, both invaded by Iraq.
Saddam benefited from U.S. support through the war with Iran and
beyond, up to the day of the invasion of Kuwait. Those responsible are
largely back at the helm in Washington today.
President Ronald Reagan and the previous Bush administration provided
aid to Saddam, along with the means to develop weapons of mass
destruction, back when he was far more dangerous than he is now, and
had already committed his worst crimes, like murdering thousands of
Kurds with poison gas.
An end to Saddam's rule would lift a horrible burden from the people of
Iraq. There is good reason to believe that he would suffer the fate of
Nicolae Ceausescu and other vicious tyrants if Iraqi society were
not devastated by harsh sanctions that force the population to rely on
Saddam for survival while strengthening him and his clique.
Saddam remains a terrible threat to those within his reach. Today, his
reach does not extend beyond his own domains, though it is likely that
U.S. aggression could inspire a new generation of terrorists bent on
revenge, and might induce Iraq to carry out terrorist actions suspected
to be already in place.
Right now Saddam has every reason to keep under tight control any
chemical and biological weapons that Iraq may have. He wouldn't provide
such weapons to the Osama bin Ladens of the world, who represent a
terrible threat to Saddam himself.
And administration hawks understand that, except as a last resort if
attacked, Iraq is highly unlikely to use any weapons of mass
destruction that it has -- and risk instant incineration.
Under attack, however, Iraqi society would collapse, including the
controls over the weapons of mass destruction. These could be
"privatized," as international security specialist Daniel Benjamin
warns, and offered to the huge "market for unconventional weapons,
where they will have no trouble finding buyers." That really is "a
nightmare scenario," he says.
As for the fate of the people of Iraq in war, no one can predict with
any confidence: not the CIA, not Rumsfeld, not those who claim to be
experts on Iraq, no one.
But international relief agencies are preparing for the worst.
Studies by respected medical organizations estimate that the death toll
could rise to the hundreds of thousands. Confidential U.N. documents
warn that a war could trigger a "humanitarian emergency of exceptional
scale" -- including the possibility that 30 percent of Iraqi children
could die from malnutrition.
Today the administration doesn't seem to be heeding the international
relief agency warnings about an attack's horrendous aftermath.
The potential disasters are among the many reasons why decent human
beings do not contemplate the threat or use of violence, whether in
personal life or international affairs, unless reasons have been
offered that have overwhelming force. And surely nothing remotely
like that justification has come forward.
Noam Chomsky is a political activist, professor of linguistics at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of the bestseller "9-
11." He wrote this article for the New York Times Syndicate