European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 a a a the stars and stripes Friday january 18, 1991walter r. Mear Gulf War destined to become Bush s War Washington no president wants a War called by his name the Way the Vietnam conflict became Lyndon Johnson a War then Richard Nixon a when that happens it usually is because a conflict has gone on so Long or so badly that Public support is shaken and americans Are divided. Using one Many a name is the language of dissent the War that exploded in the persian Gulf wednesday night will be stamped indelibly As George Bush a policy even though it carries congressional approval. The political peril for the president is that it will become George Bush a War in the waging or in a bitter aftermath. There has been significant Home front dissent about every american War except world War ii and Only Pearl Harbor rallied the nation to put aside divisions in 1941. The five vote margin by which the Senate authorized the use of Force to drive Iraq from Kuwait was the narrowest of modern margins in a War vote a closer than any since the 19-13 Senate vote for a 16-state nation to declare the War of 1812. In modern times votes before combat have been the exception. The War in Korea and a decade of conflict in Vietnam were not declared wars and neither had direct explicit approval from Congress. A \ Harry s. Truman did no task before sending . Troops to Korea in 1950. By the time that three year conflict ended it had been dubbed a a Truman a War a and a Republican administration had taken Over. A a a a a a a a a a a Johnson sought and got approval of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964 with Only two dissenting votes in All of Congress. His administration later said it was the functional equivalent of a declaration of War. Congressional critics said they had not intended it that Way. Bush had Long insisted he did no to need congressional authorization to Send american forces into combat. But he also. Said the use of Force Resolution he requested and won meant the democratic run House and Senate Are now a part of All  a George will the Burma nor @u6m democratic leaders essentially agreed saying the margins of approval were unimportant. A if conflict occurs there will be full support for the men and women of our armed forces a said Senate majority Leader George j. Mitchell a Maine who voted against the Bush Resolution. A if the firing starts if the president decides he has to use military Force a said sen. Sam Nunn d-ga., a then i think Well see a very Strong rallying behind the president and behind the men and women in the  but until the votes Mitchell and other democrats had made Clear that the War policy Wasny to theirs most of them wanted to delay the use of Force and seek to drive Iraq from Kuwait with continued economic sanctions. A if immediate War does occur it May Well have been an unnecessary War a Mitchell had said sunday. Earlier the democratic Leader had complained that Bush acted alone and put the United states on a course toward offensive action on nov. 8 when he announced he would double . Forces in the persian Gulf. A the president did not consult with the Congress about that a decision a Mitchell said. A the did not try to build support for it among the american people. He just did it.�?�. The administration also faced an Active anti War movement in Advance something that did no to confront Johnson in the Early phases of the Vietnam conflict. That was a War of gradual escalation. The opposition in the streets and ultimately at the polls took shape gradually too. Now there was a movement against a War before it began with demonstrations in Washington and other american cities. There were teach ins on the persian Gulf As there were on Vietnam. Bush said his message to americans pleading against War is that a a we be got to do what we have to  his spokesman said Bush did no to feel alone in facing a a very singular decision because it was a course approved by Congress and the United nations. But it was a lonely life and death Deci a Sion. A a a a a a a a a a a a a a a for As sen. William s. Cohen a Maine said As the Senate faced its vote to Grant permission for War a we Are walking in the shadows of Munich and Vietnam and the path is dark and  the associated press minting moral imperatives requires care a Washington a if Lithuania were located Over a Large Pool of Oil it too could participate in the new world order. But geology not merely geography is  Days so Lithuania must be Content to play the lesser role of a lesson America be careful when minting moral imperatives. The soviet crackdown in Lithuania could not have come at a less convenient time for the Bush administration. Coming on the eve of the first Large War of the Post Cokl War reign of perpetual peace the soviet action and the Limp . Response to it underscore the moral ambiguity of the . Undertaking in the Gulf. Moral ambiguity is part of Normal political action but operation desert shield has been justified As a highly moral matter. Now this has been complicated a bit by the fact that Kuwait has been neither a Home of nor a Friend of Freedom. Sen. Daniel p. Moynihan d-n.y., who once served As our ambassador to the u.n., said a i remember Kuwait at the United nations As a particularly poisonous enemy of the United states. One can be an antagonist i the United states in a Way that leaves room for further discussion afterwards. But the kuwaitis were singularly Nasty. Their anti semitism was at the level of the personally  Kuwait unlike Lithuania can afford to spend a and needs to spend a millions on Public relations sorcery. But Kuwait certainly is a victim of aggression. Lithuania is this minute also a victim of aggression. And Lithuania unlike Kuwait is a fledgling democracy. Gorbachev says he had nothing much to do with the crackdown in Lithuania that a local army commander made the decision to liquidate democracy there and Gorbachev a sudden re regimented Media say the commander was right to take the a a defensive measures. President Bush has promiscuously invoked the Specter of Hitler so let us note that Gorbachev is continuing the collaborative work of Hitler and Stalin. The Bush administration is it is said inhibited in its response by the need to hold together the anti Saddam coalition. This coalition a so Many nations willing to hold americans coat a actually needs Gorbachev not at All. He is contributing no troops and can lend no moral weight. Lately it has been said that War in the Gulf is justified in part by the breadth of the anti Saddam coalition but that the War could not be Long delayed because this sanctifying coalition is too rickety to stand the Strain of waiting to see if sanctions will suffice. Then last sunday rep. Les Aspin d-wis., said this a if we rely on sanctions we could not say anything or do anything about what the soviet Union is doing in Lithuania because we must try and hold this coalition together. Its going to tie our foreign policy hands Over the year year and a half for the sanctions to work. And i think that that Means wed have to be Nice to China even no matter what they did with the dissidents wed have to be Nice to Syria no matter what happened in Lebanon and we re going to have to be Nice to the soviet Union no Matte what they re doing about these republics that want to become  which Means that one reason for waging this War of moral duty is so that we can end the demeaning behaviour that this moral duty makes necessary. Quot Bush May be overestimating the menace of Saddam Hussein. Bush certainly has overestimated Gorbachev the most overrated Man of the 20th Century. Gorbachev no More a set free Eastern Europe tha Nic Tonij Utah Sci a Avci fun 1 rights to its Black citizen Blacks fought and forced the Issue Eastern Europe people stood up and gave Gorbachev by then a mend cant on the West s Doorstep no real Choice. Many months ago Gorbachev made the characterise Cally grand and empty Promise that within 500 Day he wild do what he has done nothing much about of f would radically Reform institutional impede intents to Freedom. \ it still he holds Back. Why nth �hnsame.rc�, bounces lithuanian Patri ots As bourgeoise elements and Speaks of preserving uni0n s a socialist Choice. A that Choice a. A czech official says place your hand on a Globe a a of the north9? tip Veyo or hand eastward around mos civic show my liemispthtcre�?Tt0 Vladivostok on the Pabl the no a f v1ct u Nion in a11 the  Vuth mjg 0f your hand Only one Leader govern Sor of  elect a ral mandate Gorbachev posses Sein and in re  than Saddam Hus Sein and coalition partner m the new world order. Washington Post writers group the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoon was to k represent those of the authors and Are instars and Stan Quot Tkv Redas presenting the views of t stars and stripes or the United states government