European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 1, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 columns the stars and stripes saturday december 1,1990 Walter Mears . To see at Senate hearings on president Bush a persian Gulf policy the answers count less than the questions and a question that a being asked repeatedly is Why the administration seems to be in a hurry to risk military action instead of waiting for economic sanctions to Force Iraq out of Kuwait. There is no answer. Threatening a military offensive does no to mean there a going to be one. But. As Long As its credible a threat can be a weapon too Quot the president is talking to Many audiences a said James r. Schlesinger the former Secretary of defense and Cia director. Quot he is not Only talking to the american people he is talking to the United nations he is trying to convey to Saddam Hussein that he is prepared if need arise to use military Power. Schlesinger Lead off witness at the Senate. Armed services committee said he does no to know that Bush really has turned to the military option and so he can to judge it to be premature. He favors waiting while the sanctions exact their toll on Iraq. He also says that Bush a order nearly doubling . Forces is evidence of american determination and will strengthen the sanctions. A a a Quot. A a. Democrats tended to agree on he first Point but not the second. T hey say that the nov. 8 order changed the Mission from defense and sanctions to one in which offensive action is an option. Its the questions and comments of the senators that carry the message in Senate armed services committee hearings. This weeks witnesses a former officials retired generals and Cabinet officers Are offering expert Opi Niotis but they do not make decisions any More. Senators do or will after Congress reconvenes in january. A the administrations decision makers Are in Reserve unavailable until next week. That a when the White mouse expects to have in hand a United nations Security Council Resolution authorizing the use of Force to drive Iraq out of occupied Kuwait unless Saddam Hussein withdraws in the next six weeks. Sen. Sam Nunn a a the committee chairman said he favors the . Resolution As a warning to the iraqi Leader Quot this . Resolution however is not a Susti Lute for fully informing the american people of our own nations objectives and strategy a Nunn said in opening the hearings on tuesday Nunn said the hearing schedule was set in the first Slack to accommodate Secretary of defense Dick Che by and Gen. Colin l. Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff the officials Nunn wanted to Lead off but he said the administration chose not have them testify this week. They will appear on monday. Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii is to testify next wednesday at companion hearings before the Senate foreign relations committee. . Rosenthal a the Lead in criticizing the order doubling troop strength telling Bush that it represented a fundamental change in policy and that head need a declaration of War to order the liberation of Kuwait. A Republican senator sen. John Warnerr a said Cheney stayed away this week because a the Felt and it was the administration a belief that his appearance might in some Way conflict with the work in the United nations.�?�. But there were political strains. Nunn had taken Ling troop is fundamental caration of Republican said Nunn had timed the hearings for political purposes Quot the chairman is opening a presidential Campaign a sen. Malcolm Wallop of Wyoming said. _ Nunn is a fixture on the guess list involving potential democratic presidential candidates but a Challenge to Gulf policy at this Point would be a risky beginning for any Campaign too Many open questions. The Central one of course is War or peace Nunn said he does not question that military action is justified. Sen Albert Gore jr., d-tenn., said there is no Lack of sympathy for. The problems Bush confronts a we All Here understand that it is an awful lot easier to ask questions than to answer questions a he said a a in a concerned that our debating in Public what our strategy is going to be simply plays into Saddam Hussein a strategy Quot said sen. Dan Coats Rind. Sen. William s. Cohen a Maine said there is a Dan Ger that Saddam will View debate As dissension and dissension As a political defeat for president but. He said it is Worth taking that risk so that Bush will know whether Congress and the american people support his policy before any shots Are fired. So the questions continue some with built in answers like Yunnus on the. Desirability of waiting for the sanctions to work. A would you believe it would be advisable for us to begin acting As though time is on our Side and that we do As a nation have the patience to see this through a he asked. A a a a a a a a a a a a a. A a a a a a a a a a absolutely a said Schlesinger a class Odato Prev appeasement of dictators sets stage w War Jerusalem on the plane from Zurich to Tel Aviv passengers stare at a newspaper photograph that tells an Aston Ishing Story How swiftly and dangerously history can repeat itself. There stands the president of the United states an exuberant smile on his face the american Flag behind hint a his left stands another smiling president. Hafez Assad of Syria a dictator Assassin of thousands of his own people master of terrorists Avo specialize in bombing air ended. 1 but without firing a shot at the iraqis the syrian can count his spoils already Assad used the crisis Laid american acquiescence a to turn Jle Bahon into a Colony in the process he slaughtered another 800 or so people without a word of protest from the United he collected jetted states a billion Dollar Assad smiles because the United states has made him the first Winner in the persian Gulf confrontation. The Story told by the photograph reads clearly. Once again and for the second time m barely four months the United states is pandering to a Middle East dictator. A h a. A \ a a a. A it is a policy that allowed Saddam Hussein to think he could get away with invading Kuwait. It is the policy that once again will bring crisis and danger to the United states and the Middle East. Nobody can know yet How the Story of the iraqi invasion of Kuwait will turn out or whether american men and women will die in the desert before the chapter is subsidy from the saudis and will collect More billions soon. And now he wins Praise and political prestige from the United states a which lists his country As a terrorist nation. A a a a a it a a Quot a the embrace May be them Ost valuable prize of All. It will help Assad get More arms from the West now that the soviet Union can no longer afford to Supply him with missiles tanks and planes. And it will help Tim attain a major Pothiti Cal role at the United nations and in the Middle East that he has sought so Long. The i Uncial political and territorial payoff to Assad was in return for joining the coalition against Saddam. Since he had no other real option the generosity of the Reward must have astonished him. Hafez Assad and Saddam Hussein believe in and Rule through the ame kind of Middle / Eastern fascism a rigid dictatorship suppression of All opposition and minorities aggression against neighbouring countries terror acc Home and abroad but they hate and fear each other because of their contest for domination of the Arab world. R for 20 years Assad has looked for a Way of cutting Saddam a political Throat. So he grabbed the Opportunity of joining the co Anition against Iraq. He should have paid Washington for the privilege. With Saddam gone or diminished Syria can become the major Arab influence in the Middle East a Assad will need is a Little help from the West he will try to use that pm ver to Lead a crusade to annihilate Israel and destroy the influence of his current Western Al lies. He sees this crusade As the one sure path to leadership of the Arab world. He will be in no hurry because he has been Defeated by the israelis three times. But he has honed his patience and knows How to wait Quot Washington lets it be know n that Bush asked Assad to extradite the palestinian participants in the Bot Bing of pan am 103, led by Assad a protege Ahmed Jibril and operating out of Syria. Yes of course and then Assad will turn himself Over for trial in new York so that his terrorists can disclose his own comply. City. A. A. _ will Assad at last use his influence to free american hostages held by terrorist bands in syrian occupied Lebanon pos Sibly a he and the other terrorists May feel that they have wrung full value out of the hostages by now andean Cash them in for More political Praise from the United states -. A a a a a but the Basic reason for the cuddling of the syrian dictator is that Bush thinks it would guarantee that Damascus keep firm m the fight against Saddam. It is. A delusion Assad will remain in the anti Iraq coalition As Long As it suits his interest not one Day k a More. Interest a not one Day less or one Day the Bush administration does not seem to grasp an old lesson of history taught again by the invasion of Kuwait the appeasement of dictators is the prelude to War a a f the failure to earn that is the Saddest and most dangerous part of the Story told by the photograph of the two smiling presidents. A in new York times a a a
