OK, I have stayed out of this war debate since it begun. Here is my view of things:
Many Americans seems to think that the US government have the world opinion with them in this case, and that France among others are some loners with a strange agenda. I am afraid that is not the case. The US president went to war without the UN's approval. USA has some countries with them (much thanks to alliances and agreements from the past, partly through threats, and they have also paid some good dollars to others for some support). But the rest of the world is actually pretty much against this war, and is against USA's initiative. Many would even say that the war is illigal.
I think that Saddam is a criminal. He is a danger, if not to the world, then at least to the citizens of Iraq. Dictatorship is never good. The world would be a much better place without him. My objections to President Bush's campaign does not regard this.
Since the second world war the United Nations has served as a security for the world stability. It has been a forum of diplomacy in which nations could discuss problems. It has been *the* way to sanction military actions when the *world* thought it would be necessary.
But the current US government (and it's few allies) went to war *against* the rest of the worlds approval. This results in at least one of the two conclusions:
1) The entire war is a crime against humanity, which is kind of interesting since the USA is the only country in the world that has been granted immunity towards war crimes. Neither president Bush, nor any of his generals or other officers can be brought to an international court to stand trial for their actions. The leaders of the former Jugoslavia could, but American leaders can't.
2) This is the new world order. The United Nations is now rendered useless and all countries can go to war whenever they feel it suits their needs.
This is *most* unfortunate for the future political stability of this planet. And it can not be made "undone" now.
If only President Bush could have managed to justify his war against Iraq to the world! Then the situation would have been different! But he couldn't. And his failure to do so (and by going to war against the will of the rest of the world) has in a very short time:
1) Damaged the United Nations. This is extremely severe to the future of this world.
2) Caused a crack in Nato. This is extremely severe to the post WW2 western countries.
3) Caused a crack in the European Union, which is bad for the entire future Europe.
4) Caused cracks in many governments. Some good UK ministers has even resigned.
5) Further damaged the stability in the Arab world.
6) Created thousands of new potential Bin Ladin's.
And he has crashed the US economy in the process.
It's so easy to raze what has taken so long time for the world to build up. Well, let's just hope that Bush's military forces actually manage to kill or capture Saddam this time. Otherwize he will propably just go to the Usama Holiday Resort to make plans of revange.
Please don't get me wrong on this. I *do* think that Saddam would serve this world in a better way as a corpse. And I *am not* against USA in any general way. I have been to the USA several times for both business and pleasure (California, Washington and Florida) and I really like the country as well as it's citizens I have met. This has nothing to do about that. But the long term consequences to the world from this campaign will remain long after the short term "profits" has been consumed.
Let's just say that I think that the world was a better and safer place back in Clinton's days. This whole mess is most unfortunate and I wish that it just would go away and that there will be a way to heal the world after this.
