Editorial
Bush facing anti-war demonstrations
Bangladesh should express solidarity with these
The imminent-looking US attack on Iraq has had anti-war protests break into a crescendo among millions of people in North America, Europe and Asia last Saturday. In France, Syria, Russia, Italy, Ireland, Cyprus, Japan, Yemen and Pakistan they took to the streets to say 'no' to war. In the US itself, Washington and San Francisco witnessed the most vehement anti-war demonstrations since the Vietnam days. Bangladesh must join the chorus of disapproval as the anti-war sentiments intensify world wide in direct proportion to Bush's single-minded pursuit of his war time-table regardless of any extenuating circumstances.
Seven more warships with 10,000 troops set sail on top of the massive deployment around the Gulf taking place over time. Why this dogged pursuit of an agenda that is nothing but self-anointed? For, nobody in the right frame of mind can believe that Iraq which has submitted itself to open inspection of its suspected sites for weapons of mass destruction can hide any 'malcontent' indefinitely thereby posing a threat to the USA or Britain at any time. The inspecting regimen has gone into mobile laboratories, state companies and colleges. The scientists are being interviewed away from their places of work or residence. Hans Blix, the UN weapons inspection chief, has sought more time to exercise his mandate to the fullest extent. So what's left?
There is a near-total unanimity, save the discordant Bush voice, for allowing the UN inspection writ to run its full course. That is the way to go about it, because the world prefers primacy of the UN role to a brash US unilateral action against Iraq.
In the absence of hard facts pointing to Iraq's having any weapons of mass destruction or a capacity to build them, the White House has seized on empty shells of chemical warheads which the UN inspection team had found out, as evidence of Iraqi non-compliance with UNSC resolution. But Blix himself does not think much of the finding. At one stage, the onus may be on the US herself to provide proofs in favour of its claim that Iraq has developed weapons of mass destruction. In terms of the operative UN resolution, a second reference has to be drawn to the UNSC before taking any further action against Baghdad. A world opinion geared to this objective will have to be built up so as to put further pressure on the US to step back from the brink of a war.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments