Word: saddamism
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...what Clinton's advisers have been saying for months: continued economic sanctions, constant threats of military action and occasional punitive bombing make up the only realistic policy for keeping Saddam from becoming a threat to the Middle East. It might take a long time, because Saddam does not seem ready to leave the scene and the U.S. is unwilling to go in and get him. No wonder this is a hard sell...
...Clinton team likes to say that most of the world supports the U.S. stand. That's half right. Most of the world does agree that Saddam should live up to the Security Council resolutions he has accepted and should allow inspectors to check any building they think necessary, including the so-called presidential sites. But having said that, most countries balk at enforcing the rules with air strikes. Some honestly believe more diplomacy will do the trick, and some, like China, oppose any sanctions that might someday be turned on themselves...
Perhaps the most carefully nuanced view is France's, though many of America's allies think along the same lines. France wants to do business in Iraq's oil fields, but French officials insist they are not pro-Saddam. They'd like to see the last of him too. But they have no faith in the methods Washington is proposing. Air strikes of the size now gathering steam in the gulf, the French say, are a no-win policy that can only benefit Saddam. The bombs will miss his weapons, kill Iraqi civilians and rally support for Saddam at home...
...questioners at Ohio State asked, What is Clinton up to if Saddam's neighbors don't want the U.S. to bomb? Aren't they afraid? Israel certainly is, but the others are of two minds. They see Saddam as brutal and menacing, but they don't think he's about to do anything terrible to them right now. They assume that if he gets nasty and tries to attack again, the U.S. will slap him down. But they are skittish about provoking a sleeping beast and fear he might retaliate. They don't trust Saddam's judgment under bombardment, assuming...
...home to the kingdom's most important oil fields. At the same time, Iran would be deeply worried if the northern segment of Iraq were to break away and create an independent Kurdistan. Turkey and Syria share that worry. So while the surrounding states would like to see Saddam disarmed, they are less than certain they want his regime to collapse...