Embedded in a new world order

April 11 2003

Intoxicated, Washington's neo-cons are unlikely to stop at victory over 
Saddam Hussein, says Geoff Kitney.  

The images out of Iraq are historic and compelling: nothing in world 
affairs beats the sight of oppressed people breaking their shackles and 
celebrating their freedom. And these days we can watch it all happening 
live in our lounge rooms - an intoxicating fusion of reality TV and the 
History Channel.  

Despite their fears and doubts before the war began there will be few 
Australians who saw and felt the raw emotion of the events in Baghdad 
who will not share the sense of joy of the Prime Minister, John Howard, 
at the outcome, and in Australia's contribution to it.  

[snip snip]

The pretext for this war was that Saddam had tens of thousands of 
litres of biological warfare agents and tends of thousands of tonnes 
of chemical warfare materials that he wanted to use on his neighbours 
and was likely to pass on to al-Qaeda-linked terrorists to attack the 
US and its allies. Not a skerrick of any such material has so far been 
found. But opinion polls in the US now say that the American public 
is no longer concerned whether they are found. The removal of Saddam 
and the freeing of the Iraqis is seen as sufficient justification for 
the war. Similar sentiment is likely in Australia.  

This does not mean that the original case for the war no longer matters. 
It is vital that the questions that were posed about the chemical weapons 
and terrorism justifications for going to war continue to be asked and 
that the politicians, intelligence chiefs and military planners who made 
the case be held accountable.  

This will be harder in the euphoric early days after the end of the war. 

Already, some of those who feel vindicated in their pro-war stance are 
showing signs of an eagerness to vilify those who opposed it. It will 
take courage and persistence in the shrinking parts of the media still 
committed to sceptical reporting and analysis of governments and 
powerful interests to pursue these issues in the face of such pressures, 
even though the children overboard affair reaffirmed how important this is.  

[snip]

And the story of post-Iraq makes up only a small part of the total 
postwar story. Indeed, the bigger picture is more relevant to Australia 
than how the future of Iraq unfolds.  

As we watch these pictures of jubilant crowds trampling on the 
images and statues of a deposed dictator we also need to understand 
that Australia is now "embedded" in America's new world order.  

The triumph being celebrated by the Iraqis represents a triumph of 
American military power used ruthlessly to implement a White House 
vision of a world remade in America's image. Howard acknowledges that 
the US sees the world differently since September 11 and has 
endorsed, and committed Australia militarily, to the Bush doctrine 
of pre-emptive defence.  

[snip snip]

The Australian Government has dismissed as "a straw man" the idea 
that the Bush Administration is planning to turn its military might 
to the task of regime change in other nations with repressive regimes 
and leaders no less odious than Saddam. But this idea is being debated 
at influential levels in the US. Some who belong to the so-called 
"neo-cons" (hardline right-wing, pro-Israel conservatives) group are 
openly advocating it. Rumsfeld has warned both Syria and North Korea 
to watch their step.  

[snip]

Get ready to head for the next destination on the Bush-Rumsfeld 
freedom ride.  

gkitney{at}smh.com.au

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Full article at Sydney Morning Herald ...
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/10/1049567806781.html

Cheers, Steve..

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