European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 04, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday february.,� 1991 the stars and stripes Martin Gottlieb commentary Saddam s propaganda not without value what a some people ask almost rhetorically a is the Point of can or anybody else giving Sac dam Hussein free rein to spread his silly propaganda in a Long interview in which he hardly even responds to questions but just rambles. Here is part of an answer Saddam a interviews offer americans a useful insight into iraqi if you listen to him Long enough you can see Why his pitch has some Appeal in the aral a world generally and Why it probably helps sustain him in Iraq specifically. Saddam a reign has been an economic catastrophe for Iraq. A country that was prospering when he took Over has been devastated by his military adventurism. So How is he Able to maintain support through terror of course. But there May be More. People Are predisposed to believe and Side with the Leader of their country in International disputes. They want to be live. Look at How american support for president Bush has skyrocketed in the polls since the War began. Given that if you were an iraqi would you laugh at these Points of Saddam so the United states is the ruthless Power mad aggressor in this War. It is the country that is sticking its Jose into the affairs of another Region that is forment ing War on the land of other people that has put together a massive coalition of great Powers against one country of Only 18 million people. A the hypocrisy of the coalition is monumental. These people pour explosives All Over a country then express moral out rage that the victimized country targets civilian populations with not a thousandth of the explosive Power it is targeted with. The . Argument a that unlike Iraq it is not targeting civilians a is hollow. The american air Campaign is hugely More terroristic than the iraqi one. A the notion that Israel in t a combatant country is just so much nonsense. Everybody knows that Israel is Central in Washington s thinking. If Israel does no to actually engage in fighting that a Only because the United states convinces Israel that the coalition will do anything that israeli forces might do. A Iraq has the moral right to use chemical weapons because it cannot match the conventional Power of the american built coalition. America can to try to bomb us into the Stone age then Tell us what rules we must observe in fighting Back. A in sum this is just another Case of the West deploying its advantages in Money Power and population to get our Oil at their prices Ana to protect Israel. If you arc not powerfully predisposed to accept Saddam a arguments you must see that he a not the coalition a is his country a great problem. But National Pride is among the most powerful of Polit Teal forces. Reason is not. Every time Saddam is asked about some atrocity or other a his treatment of prisoners of War or his chemical weapons or whatever a he responds by detailing not necessarily accurately cases in which. Western leaders have done worse. He is re mindful in this limited sense of Richard Nixon who got into watergate largely because he was determined to play the political game As ruthlessly As his of a a ponets and predecessors. He was obsessed with their transgressions and How they had victimized hint. And his partisans. This sense of victimization weakens the role of rules and makes leaders a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a and it fits More naturally into the polities of the Mideast a where it plays into a regional sense of victimization Quot than into the politics of the United states. Or so ti1e situation seems from one Recliner chair whence thanks to. Modern technology and the willingness of some journalists to risk being hated for giving voice to a villain the state of the world seems pretty easy to understand. A a c Cox nows service the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the stars and stripes or the United states government. William f. Buckley or. A a a a a a a a a a a. ,. W. A americans will Only turn against an Idle War a. A a a -. A a a a a a a a. A a a. A a. A a a. A. A a. A. A a a a v. A. A. A. I awoke today in the shoulders of a most extraordinary Epiphany. Commentators Are talking incessantly about the mood of the american people. Well i am an american people. And As far As i can see which is very far indeed the mood of the american people i mean my mood a is nothing we need to worry about nothing at All. Now certain things do drive me berserk and one of them is the utter refusal of High administration spokesmen to speak the mind of the american people on the subject of Saddam. When vice president Quayle was in London one of the questions put to him was a emr. Vice president is it an objective of this War just to get Saddam out of Kuwait or to get Saddam out of Power a a. A a a a i done to know the vice president Well but i would be willing to bet the Stock of National review Magazine that he was saying to himself a by the time we re through with that Bastard he Isnit going to be Able to attack anybody with the possible exception of his but of no. A the presidents intentions Are those of the Tom Wicker United nations Security Council which Are to get the iraqi army out of Kuwait and restore the legitimate this kind of equivocation also drives William Safirt of the new York times mad and when William satire of the new York times gets mad the temperature of the whole world rises. His bugbear is the joint statement made last week by Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii and soviet foreign minister Alexander Bessmer Nyoh a the ministers continue to believe that a cessation of hostilities would be possible if Iraq would make an unequivocal commitment to withdraw from the assault on Kuwait is merely what Saddam did today that brought him to our attention. It is certainly our fault that we did no to detect earlier the magnitude of his ambitions or the venality of his methods. Only Israel had the Good sense 10 years ago to set Back his nuclear Assembly Plant. If Israel Hadnot Donc so we would today be powerless against Saddam unless we opted for an overnight nuclear strike which we americans Are not attracted to doing though there Are circumstances in hich such a move would be defensible. Saddam Willious Kuwait is simply Saddam less 2.5 million barrels of Oil per Day. Lie is Young enough to rebuild his battered a Cath factories and come Back again Well after the 22nd amendment has r retired George Bush permanently. Many editorial writers and commentators talk about the possibility of a Long War and about the shortness of american stamina. Well let me Tell you we americans arc achievement oriented that a True and wed rather win a War quickly than drag it out Over the years. But there is Only one thing to worry about one thing that would critically vex us and that is if we have the option of winning the War quickly and choose instead to prosecute the War idly a then we Are Likely to say the hell with it. A a a a a. So get that straight. Make those distinctions and Ever again misunderstand me the american people. A a a a v a Quot a. C Universal press Syndicate a War in a the persian Gulf War obviously has wide Public support enough to intimidate dissident politicians from standing up to oppose it. Someone probably but not necessarily a Democrat nevertheless May be missing an Opportunity by holding his other Tongue re a number of factors suggest support for the War will fade perhaps even rapidly. For one thing not every patriotic Quot american who backs the troops and Hopes for his country a Victory agrees War was necessary or Wise. Before the shooting started the nation was deeply divided and today a enthusiasm May fade As pre Jan. 15 doubts and questions re emerge. For another thing the inevitable ground War is beginning once again confounding the Rosy claims of air Power buffs in Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf words that Means a the Best is still to he might better have said a the worst a since he was referring to the a it door i lied Effort to drive the Iraq Srouf of Kuwait a push expected to bring hard fighting and High casualties. At the moment its not surprising that none of those most often mentioned As possible democratic nominees in 1992 out. Most no doubt remember that even an Active and powerful Domestic reaction against the Vietnam War failed to produce an outright opposition candidate in 1968 and that George Mcgovern As such a candidate in 1972, lost in a landslide. An opposition Leader would have to weigh his words carefully in order not to be seen As undercutting Brave american troops in the Field. Bul the amb in u it of the administrations intentions the dark uncertainties surrounding a postwar settlement and no. Serous neglected Domestic problems would provide such a Leader with legitimate causes for his stand. He might genuinely argue for example that the most useful support for american troops is to spare them needless casualties in unwise Battles. Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia whom some consider a potential democratic candidate voted against authorizing the president to Start the War. His current support for american forces and american Victory can to change that vote or the impression he believed the War unnecessary up to the moment was started. A a democratic dark horse sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska also voted against War. He has a medal of Honor and Nunn has a history of military support and expertise As a defense against charges of being but its probably too much to expect that either would take the undeniable political risk of leading the opposition a even to a War that a Likely to lose acceptability As the months go along. C new York times. A
