By William Alexander
Some young men and women currently going as soldiers into the Bush Iraqi war were born during the first Iraqi war and now old enough to vote. Iraq had marched its army into Kuwait stealing a huge oil field. George Bush, Sr., an experienced diplomat, rallied support though the United Nations for a swift and decisive counter-attack driving the Iraqi army back into Iraq.
Unlike his father, our current President elected in 2000, had less knowledge of the larger world we live in and our need for diplomacy through the United Nations. After the twin-towers destruction on September 11, 2001, America enjoyed a ground swell of world sympathy supporting a multilateral attack on the 9/11 criminals holed-up in Afghanistan.
The Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, smarting under the United Nations mandate to pay for the damage done in Kuwait began to brag that he was capable of bombing the Mid East and even USA itself with nuclear weapons–weapons he did not have and could not make. Unfortunately, when pressed by his Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfield and prodded by his Vice President Dick Cheney, President George Bush, Jr., feeling his power as commander-in chief began to think of American empire. When other world nations refused to believe the bragging Iraqi dictator, our President, George Bush, Jr., acting as commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in the world, announced America would, if necessary, attack Iraq with or without the advice or support of other nations. In essence, America would be prepared to wage a unilateral action – a one sided move which has complete disregard for other parties – on Iraq and stand alone against the rest of the world in doing so.
Forced by Congress, our President directed his Secretary of State Colin Powell to go to the United Nations Security Council justifying the boastful lies of the Iraqi dictator-lies about nuclear and biological weapons he claimed to have. Without real and forceful international support, our President led us into the Iraqi war–a war lasting longer than World War II. Without significant support of nations other than Britain, our unilateral action now costs USA billions of dollars a month and thousands of soldiers have died.
After World War II, the USA, led the creation of the United Nations, a membership organization representing almost every nation in the world. The United Nations is itself the best example of multilateralism – or several nations acting in concert agreeing on specific actions or policy. As our multinational agency the United Nations is our way to encourage and support peace in the world.
This November we shall elect a new President–an opportunity to elect a new commander-in-chief who will not take us into useless and wasteful wars unilaterally-a President who will listen to the advice of the great alliance of the United Nations powers to make and preserve peace in the world. By unilateral action the Romans had an empire, the British had and empire, and Hitler tried to establish an empire.
This article was written by Will Alexander for the Greater United Nations Lansing Association (GLUNA). For more information about GLUNA e-mail Mr. Alexander at alexander.will.m@gmail.com
