By Howard Walker, Staff ReporterThere are five clear objectives to the
current military mission in Iraq: to end the regime of Saddam Hussein; to find and eliminate Iraq's prohibited weapons systems and facilities; to capture or drive out terrorists sheltered in Iraq; to allow the end of sanctions and immediately deliver humanitarian relief; and to
help Iraqis' transition to a
representative government.
MORE THAN a fortnight since United States President George Bush declared war on Iraq, CARICOM's public condemnation of the attack, and the reports of massive loss of civilian lives in the Gulf, The Sunday Gleaner sought an up-to-date reaction from the U.S. embassy here.
While U.S. Ambassador Sue Cobb could not be reached for comments, Orna Blum, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. embassy in Jamaica decided to share her views on the matter.
According to Mrs. Blum "Saddam Hussein's regime was condemned by the U.S. Government for the brutal and oppressive reign over the Iraqi people. His human rights abuses have been well documented by the United Nations as well as by independent human rights organisations."
Mrs. Blum also made it clear that it is not illegal for one country to remove the leader of another based on UN Security Council Resolution 1441, (UNSCR) which gives explicit mandate to use "all necessary means". She said the international community spoke clearly. It provided a mandate. Nothing in UNSCR 1441 requires further resolution or other form of Security Council approval, to authorise use of force.
But was it necessary for military action at this time? Orna Blum certainly thinks so: "Iraq has been in breach of more than a dozen UN Security Resolutions calling for it to disarm, calling for it to account for all of its prohibited weapons, calling for Iraq to protect the human rights of the Iraqi people and calling for it to co-operate fully and actively with UN inpectors.
"Saddam only began to release small amounts of information and to reveal small caches of prohibited weapons only upon threat of force. Even then the regime did not comply fully, as required by the Resolution."
But the general thought is that, if Saddam is overthrown, that might not change the way the next president or country operates.
"President Bush has clearly stated that one of the objectives of Operation Iraqi Freedom is to help Iraqis' rapid transition to a non-threatening, representative form of government that preserves the territorial integrity of Iraq," she said.
As to allegations by Dianne Abbott a British Member of Parliament who had bashed the U.S. war motives saying Presi-dent Bush was only interested in oil and wants to finish what his father had started, Mrs. Blum reiterated that the current military engagement was prompted by Saddam Hussein's breach of UN Security Resolutions. These resolutions she said, were established as part of a cease-fire agreement in the Persian Gulf War of the following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
There are five clear objectives to the current military mission in Iraq: to end the regime of Saddam Hussein; to find and eliminate Iraq's prohibited weapons systems and facilities; to capture or drive out terrorists sheltered in Iraq; to allow the end of sanctions and immediately deliver humanitarian relief; and to help Iraqis' transition to a representative government. President Bush has made clear: Iraq's oil fields and natural resources are for the Iraqi people.
The issue of double standards are being echoed by war protesters locally and internationally. The charge is that a number of other countries do possess weapons of mass destruction Israel, Russia, Syria, Libya and China. North Korea has openly declared their hand.
According to Mrs. Blum, it is important to note that this specific military engagement in Iraq is based upon Resolution 1441, and its preceding resolutions, which find Iraq in material breach, and threaten the "severest consequences."
"Moreover, we know that Iraq has provided comfort and support to a number of terrorist organisations, and the United States considers that a threat that must be addressed immediately," she said.
Does the U.S. have weapons of mass destruction, if yes, are they being monitored?
Said Mrs. Blum: "The United States maintains a nuclear arsenal, which is monitored. We have been working with other superpowers such as Russia to reduce this arsenal safely. We do not use chemical or biological weapons. The United States maintains a defensive biological research programme, to develop treatments and vaccines for our troops and the public, in the event that biological weapons are used against us."
But convincing the Jamaican public can be hard. However, she noted that the United States prides itself in being open and providing access to information.
"As your readers know from following the coverage of developments in Iraq, this is a new kind of war. It is a war that is reported live, by independent journalists. It is important to recognise the new openness with which coalition forces are operating. Military planners know that things can go wrong not that they can, but that they will. The Iraqi regime and coalition forces alike will be held up to scrutiny based upon what is broadcast from the battlefield. That said, I would encourage all people to independently seek other sources of information. Delve beneath the sensationalism, the superficial analyses, and the anecdotal reports. Read, watch, and listen critically, whether you are consuming American, Iraqi, or Jamaican information."
Recently six Iraqis were held in Montego Bay at the same time the U.S. Ambassador was to tour the area. The Iraqis were arrested and interrogated by the Jamaican police along with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
"We have all become aware that international terrorism is indeed a worldwide threat. The United States has encouraged all Americans to be aware of the heightened threat. Remember that terrorists bombed a nightclub in Bali, and a beach resort in Mombasa, Kenya. In Jamaica, the U.S. Embassy works closely with Jamaican authorities to ensure the protection not only of Americans, but the many Jamaicans who work here and who do business with us," Blum said.
"The United States and Jamaica are neighbours, and we share many trade and tourism links by both sea and air. We must be aware that these routes are easily used by people who are smuggling drugs, humans and other illicit cargo. The U.S. embassy is working very closely with the Ministry of National Security and local authorities to strengthen border and port security on the island, and to identify and fight organised crime that could provide access to terrorists. We have a strong relationship, and we appreciate the close collaboration of Jamaican authorities in this endeavour. Such efforts will help ensure that the threat of terrorism will not disrupt the economic and cultural ties between our countries." she concluded.
