With the available documentation and historical evidence, one thing does seem incontrovertible and that is the despicable and ‘evil’ nature of the Hussein led regime. It is true, many other dictatorial and brutal regimes are worthy of the same scrutiny and exposure but the focus here and now is on something near the magnitude of the Asian ‘Pol-pot’ driven atrocities. To address Iraq on the basis of, “Well, we’re ignoring most other dictators – so why not Saddam?” is a simple but deeply flawed logic in terms of applied justice. Clearly, a case can be made for the deposition of African President Mugabe, the disarming of Korea or perhaps even the ‘illegal’ Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza strip. Justice certainly needs to be seen as universal and applied with a similar standard and authority. If there is to be any chance for world peace all of these issues need to be addressed accordingly. The new paradigm we face is one of authority. As the fanatical terrorist has no border, neither has our newly emerging world. This new authority can no longer merely rest with merely one nation or group of nations. The U.S. amongst others undoubtedly holds the seed for this authority. Its soil is still one of the most fertile.
The position of Pacifism is to take no action where this constitutes the harming of another person. It’s a criteria based solely on using means without force – the premise being, “Violence begets violence”. Taken as an ideology without any context its natural conclusion becomes a paralyzing inaction when faced with survival or a brutal circumstance demanding of action. The creed of Pacifism works admirably within the environment of two warring siblings who, while under parental authority, bicker and fight; the stronger child, not always the bully (but usually the victorious), will often be subdued through peaceful appeal; if the bully is the stronger and therefore the victor, final restraint in respect of this authority may be needed and justice maintained. Note that if the bully destroys the weaker, there is peace but without justice. In suggesting all will favorably respond to appeasement is ludicrous as the agenda of the strongly self-willed is undoubtedly to offer no compromise. Any standing or respected authority must undoubtedly imply a means of force by which it is to be maintained; to suggest otherwise and that it is not needed is hypocrisy. Without law or ‘authority’ enforcement there can only be mayhem resulting in the strongest bully or despot in gaining control. The ‘authority’ of which I speak must be one which is based on fairness, justice and obviously applicable to all. The U.N. seemingly has the charter and the mandate but currently not the will and therefore neither the authority. A simple argument of ‘No War’ in the Iraq issue is sterile and reminiscent of the tragedy of ‘good men doing nothing’. The moral duty of all nations, including the U.S. is to in some way act – with force if necessary. It is currently the U.S., Britain, Spain and Australia holding true to the U.N. mandate – the kernel of authority.
The soul searching currently undertaken must beget rigorous and honest debate. All nations are complicit in hypocrisy. The war between the allied armies and Iraq in 1991 would not have been possible without the supply of missile factories, poison gas production plants and war technology from Europe. The deliberate genocide of the Kurds would not have been conceivable without European arms exports to Turkey. Europe, arms export and war are inextricably linked. Like every other developing country that has tried to make the bomb, Iraq was using imports. Saddam bought all the vital ingredients from willing sellers, most of who were in the Western countries arrayed against him. France, however, could not keep up with the Germans when it came to the really dangerous stuff. German firms sold an entire poison-gas industry, complete with chemical ingredients and the machinery to make them. The famous Messerschmidt firm, still in business under the name MBB, became Saddam Hussein's main missile technology supplier. In full knowledge that Iraq was developing missiles at a giant complex known as Saad-16, U.S. Commerce Department’s, Dennis Kloske, approved millions of dollars worth of sensitive US electronics clearly marked for Saad-16. These products directly aided the Iraqi missile design and production effort. Let our governments come clean on the back-room deals so the perpetrators of violence and terror can be found; those who have aided and abetted terrorist organisations or states should be brought to justice and tried for their crime; there should be no boundary or state to preclude those found to be in violation.
Implicit are the issues of trade and the offering of any supply or succor to tyrants – our multinational and government administrators must be wary of their trading partners. The United States is reported to be in favor of making the information public, but Germany and France are lobbying to keep it secret. They want to protect their companies. If the names don't come out, the suppliers will never face the punishment and opprobrium they deserve. And if the documents are not released, there will be no pressure on Western governments to improve their leaky export-control systems. North Korea, Iran and Libya are next in line at the A-bomb bazaar. They will buy the same equipment from the same firms that Iraq did unless something is done to choke off the supply.
Let us not lose sight of the fact that the protestations of pacifism, idealism and feigned high-mindedness can mask something far more insidious — the trade and succour offered to any brutal dictator can only menace the peace. These despots can ‘arrive’ within any nation but will only thrive in those countries where there is little to enable both spiritual and political freedom – the freedom from greed and selfish behaviour is the fertile soil. The seed sown has global significance and should be allowed to develop, grow and finally spread to its full maturity enveloping all people and nations.
