European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 07, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 7t 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 13 commentary Norman Sandl Ermay not be the answer in the midst of huge uncertainties Over its duration and ultimate costs in dollars and lives talk of the persian Gulf War is Rife with speculation about How Allied Victory will be defined and finally achieved. Will Saddam Hussein succumb to Force and leave Kuwait sparing Iraq further losses from relentless military attack and economic strangulation or will he wage his threatened islamic holy War to the Point of Arab a martyrdom. A will president Bush Settle for an outcome that permits Saddam simply to relinquish his ill gotten gains in Kuwait or will he insist that Iraq be prosecuted for War crimes and forced to pay reparations for its aggression will the restoration of peace and Security to the Region a a stated objective of the United states and its allies a be served if Saddam abruptly pulls the surviving elements of his military Back to within iraqis Borders a a a a at the heart of these and other questions about possible outcomes to the War lie the unknown intentions of Saddam himself and the unpredictable course and Broad objectives of american led operation desert storm a. A a Quot a. The most immediate Issue facing Bush and his commanders is when if at All the allies will feel compelled to move from a relatively successful and now casualty air War to a potentially bloody ground Battle to dislodge iraqi troops from Kuwait. And As that decision Point approaches some Are wondering and worrying about what actual end Bush has in mind for desert storm and what political goals might underlie the primary military objective of liberating Kuwait. V in a weekend Abc news interview House armed services committee chairman Les Aspin d-wis., an influential Backer of the  War Effort voiced concern that a a we re about to do something dangerous Here by taking on the additional  of a getting rid of Saddam  though Bush has denied any attempt to target or kill Saddam Allied forces have attacked his Headquarters and hideaways under the Guise of a Broad strategic priority of eliminating the iraqi command and control Structure. Aspin however contends that insisting on Saddam a death overthrow or ouster from Power would unwisely complicate the political and military factors that will be used to measure Victory. A the Cost in terms of time and casualties if expanding the War Aims to include getting rid of Saddam is going to be very very Large a he said. A and i think we ought to give that a lot of consideration before we just automatically expand those aims.�?�. A senior administration official acknowledged last . Rosenthal week that seeing the War end with Saddam still in Power a would be conceivable however  while the United states has acted under specific pc id s . Mandate to a restore International peace and Security in the Gulf Region the Early air strikes against chemical and biological weapons facilities provided ample evidence that Bush was looking beyond the conflict at hand to iraqis ability to wage War in the future. But what of Saddam himself British prime minister John major said he a will not weep if Saddam becomes a casualty of War. Bush has All but invited the iraqi people to overthrow their ruthless Leader and some military analysts say the massive bombardment of elite iraqi Republican guard ground troops May be designed to break them to the Point where they Rise up against Saddam. A a a a a Quot a a a a a a a. However Wishful that May seem it is Clear that . Aims in the War extend past Victory in the Battlefield of Kuwait to future restraints on Saddam or his successor. How to impose and enforce them remains to be seen. From the outset of the Gulf conflict the evil driving . Policy has not been iraqis formidable military Power but Saddam a willingness to use it. However Well his death or ouster would play to . Interests administration officials acknowledge the desirable outcome is not always the most Likely or attainable one. Short of that  officials have discussed prospects for the future military containment of Iraq b . Or Arab forces. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney also said recently in an Abc news interview that the International Community May insist on postwar sanctions such As tight curbs on Access to sophisticated weaponry and strategic technology to deny Saddam a the ability to rebuild that military Force that he a used against his  and could a secure peace really he possible if Saddam hoping to turn defeat into Victory by emerging a hero of the Arab world for his stand against the infidels remained in Power a if we achieve our object tic of getting Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait if we re Able to destroy his offensive military capability which we re Well on our Way to doing now then i think we will have achieved our objective a Chertsey said. A. United press International test your shills As a world opinion maker i a times Are hard and Good jobs Are not easy to get. But Here a a simple test to find out if you qualify for a Well paying position As an opinion maker in the Field of International affairs. All you have to do is prove that Over the past 12 months you have publicly taken the positions listed below on the soviet Union and the Middle East. The soviet Union 1. Mikhail Gorbachev a survival As Lead or of the soviet Union is essential to american interests the Well being of the soviet people and world peace. 2. Under Gorbachev the Power of the Kab is finished for Good. No soviet citizen will Ever again fear the nighttime Knock on the door bless him. 3. The United states must Channel Money credits food everything it can afford right to Gorbachev. We must hurry before we lose our Chance to help him and establish an economic foothold in his new soviet free Market world. 4 the Baltic nations Are making a  of themselves by demanding Independence. One Day maybe he will give them All the Freedom that is Good for them. Until then they should shut up and he  was a nifty decision  Nobel people to give Gorbachev the peace prize. On the Middle East a 1. The real problem of the Middle East is the struggle Between Israel and the palestinians. If the intransigent israelis would Settle that by giving up land to a new palestinian state the threat of any War in the Middle East would be All Over. 2. Saddam Hussein is vital to the Stab ii Ity of peace in the Middle East to say nothing about the stability of the Price of Oil. He May be a terrorist but we need him and have to be pragmatic. 3. Saddam Hussein will not invade Kuwait. 4. Well All right he did invade Kuwait but the Way to get him out is to Sanction him to death. He is already so weak that he  stand More than a few More months of it. Forget that scare talk about How he is building up his strength not fading away As we wait. 5. Hafez Al Assad of Syria is vital to the a stability of peace in the Middle East to say nothing about the stability of the Price of Oil. He May be a terrorist but we need him and have to be pragmatic. Now if you can prove you supported All 10 positions there is  to the jobs for which you can qualify including Secre tary of state. Most experts outside the government cannot claim number 3 in the Middle East Section a a. Thought of the possibility. But if you never even e i. Missed on a few done to despair you could still be one of those pea list professors who Are hired As experts by the networks or a columnist or an editorial writer or appear on to programs where everybody gets paid to shout at everybody else. Plenty of All those types have taken anywhere from five to nine of those positions. Some score higher in one category than the other. Depends on which is stronger a. Their wistfulness about the soviet uni nor their detestation of Israel. But please note the Tricky opening paragraph. I said you would qualify As an International expert a 1 never actually promised you the  Are four  people who took so Many of those stands Are still in their jobs so there and lot Many openings. They have no intention of resigning because of a few Lousy mistakes.2. To get one of these great jobs you have to know How to hint a that history will prove you right after All. You need the skill of rewriting history a like saying that Gorby could t make it Only because soviet democrats pushed him top hard for Freedom. 3. You also have to predict a future that will fit in with your past mistakes. Like total chaos will envelop the soviet Union without or. Gorbachev or the defeat of Iraq will leave a terrible a Power  4, this is important a you also have to hold deep grudges. Never forget that one Day the War with Iraq will be Over and then we can really  to Israel. So maybe you wont get the Job after All. But there is a Consolation prize. If you have taken the test maybe you wont put so much credence in the words of All those opinion makers who have demonstrated their simple mindedness about communism or their soft mindedness about Arab dictators or both but Are still on the Job predicting away analysing like mad same As Ever. 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