{"id":4881,"date":"1998-11-28T13:57:02","date_gmt":"1998-11-28T13:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ibrahimsheme.com\/?p=4881"},"modified":"2023-10-09T07:08:10","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T07:08:10","slug":"what-next-iraq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ibrahimsheme.com\/?p=4881","title":{"rendered":"What Next Iraq?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>President Saddam Hussein waves to the people of Saddam City in Baghdad on April 21, 1998. | AP Photo<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>AFTER witnessing a fortnight of teeth\u00ad-gritting and much name-calling between the United States and Iraq, we may now sit back and watch the unending fiasco between the twosome roll on. It has been a familiar reel since 1991 when the United Nations Security Council created the Special Commission (UNSCOM) to inspect and eliminate Iraq&#8217;s weapons of mass destruction. After President Saddam Hussein decided in October, 1997 to expel US arms inspectors working for the UN, the US built up an armada in the Gulf to strike his country. The showdown was defused last February by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan who clinched a last-minute deal in Baghdad, opening the gates of presidential sites to UN arms inspectors. It was Annan who helped stave off armed confrontation in the latest crisis when he shuttled to Baghdad and secured Saddam&#8217;s capitulation.<\/p>\n<p>The latest crisis began on August 5 when Iraq announced the cancellation of further cooperation with the UN weapons inspectors. The decision had looked very much like the last straw that would break the back of the camel of noisy restraint between the two countries to go to war. With President Saddam Hussein defying the UN with that, the US&#8217;s finger was put on the trigger, just about to attack Iraq. But Saddam abruptly stopped the charge by announcing an &#8216;unconditional&#8217; surrender with a new acceptance of the humiliating inspections.<\/p>\n<p>Saddam had no choice, really. The US had managed to obtain a near-unanimous consensus from the international community, including the Arab world, for its planned attack. Pointedly, Iraq and the US have at the end each voted itself as winner of the tug-o&#8217;-war. And Richard Butler, head of the UNSCOM, has resumed work in Iraq.<\/p>\n<p>The real winner is no doubt Iraq. President Saddam&#8217;s game of &#8216;cheat and retreat&#8217; has proved more strategic than Washington&#8217;s costly sabre-rattling in that it worked to at\u00adtract more dividend to it. As I write this on Wednesday, the UN Security Council is voting to extend for six months the oil-for\u00ad-food programme that allows Iraq to sell 5.2 billion dollars of crude every six months. Iraq itself had asked for a two-month extension. Under the two-year-old deal, Iraq is allowed to sell a limited amount of oil to buy food and other basic goods despite the embargo imposed after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, Saddam has used the crisis to buoy up his profile at home. And it seems to be working. The Baghdad-based Iraqi-Indian Friendship on Monday voted him &#8220;Man of the Century&#8221; for his &#8220;unique characteristics, such as bravery and wisdom.&#8221; In contrast, Mr. Butler and the West have continued to receive verbal assaults from the lraqis.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the chest-thumping, however, lurks the reality of the US-Iraq rigmarole. The US will continue to fret about the future of its battered international image as it fails to do anything tangible &#8212; or sensible &#8212; about Baghdad. Its strong-arm tactics have proved ineffective in changing the Iraqi status quo the way it wanted. The world, even when it remains conspiratorially silent, sees the inspections regime as simply punitive, one which only visits untold hardship on ordinary Iraqi civilians while the Saddam government survives. Humantarian workers inside the country report that the eight-year-old UN embargo &#8212; which was imposed at the behest of the US anyway &#8212; has savaged the economy to the extent of mercilessly causing avoidable deaths and crippling social services.<\/p>\n<p>The new song from the West now is for the elimination of Saddam and installing a new government. The aborted military invasion by the US and some of its allies was aimed at achieving just that. Now other strategies are being used. Last Monday, British Foreign Office Minister Derek Fatchett had a meeting with Iraqi opposition groups to plan a way to unseat Saddam. Last week, President Bill Clinton announced that the US would also be stepping up its assistance to Iraqi opposition groups whom last Tuesday&#8217;s Iraqi daily <em>Al-Qadissiyah<\/em> called &#8220;traitors&#8221; &#8212; as part of a campaign to try to bring about a new government in Baghdad.<\/p>\n<p>All such may not necessarily cow Saddam into total submission. Attacked with superweapons by the US, France and Britain five times previously &#8212; in 1993 and 1996 &#8212; Iraq seems to believe that it can take any more beatings. President Saddam Hussein still has tricks aplenty up his sleeve in hitting back at Washington. He had played games before, and lived. The showdown of October 1997-February 1998 attested to this. What stops him from wringing Washington&#8217;s arms again if Washington continues to pull his intestines? Therefore, new crises should be expected as long as both sides maintain their stand. Such maintenance is almost guaranteed.<\/p>\n<p>Does this mean there really is no alternative way out of the crisis? Is targeting the Iraqi president the only option available to the West? To this writer, Washington&#8217;s posture is not really as pragmatic as it&#8217;s made out. Since the US had lived with more &#8216;unwhole\u00adsome&#8217; heads of state than Saddam &#8212; and still does so today in Cuba, North Korea, China and now Malaysia &#8212; it can accommodate Saddam. It&#8217;s only a matter of if it wants to. Its blocking of attempt to lift sanctions on Iraq, in breach of Security Council resolution 687, doesn&#8217;t speak well of a country professing to protect the rights of ordinary, weak people. And its highly expensive psychological and physical assault on Iraq is an assault on ordi\u00adnary, weak people.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>* Published in my column, Melting Pot, in the New Nigerian Weekly today<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_4881\" class=\"pvc_stats total_only  \" data-element-id=\"4881\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ibrahimsheme.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif?resize=16%2C16&#038;ssl=1\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Saddam Hussein waves to the people of Saddam City in Baghdad on April 21, 1998. | AP Photo &nbsp; AFTER witnessing a fortnight of teeth\u00ad-gritting and much name-calling between the United States and Iraq, we may now sit back and watch the unending fiasco between the twosome roll on. It has been a familiar [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_4881\" class=\"pvc_stats total_only  \" data-element-id=\"4881\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/ibrahimsheme.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[198,252,249,246,250,253,247,251,248,254],"class_list":["post-4881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-melting-pot","tag-bill-clinton","tag-iraq","tag-kofi-annan","tag-saddam-hussein","tag-sanctions","tag-united-states","tag-unscom","tag-weapon-inspectors","tag-weapons-of-mass-destruction","tag-west"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Next Iraq? - Ibrahim Sheme<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ibrahimsheme.com\/?p=4881\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Next Iraq? - Ibrahim Sheme\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"President Saddam Hussein waves to the people of Saddam City in Baghdad on April 21, 1998. | AP Photo &nbsp; AFTER witnessing a fortnight of teeth\u00ad-gritting and much name-calling between the United States and Iraq, we may now sit back and watch the unending fiasco between the twosome roll on. 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