The International Community and the Iraqi Crisis.

(From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI))

Byline: Wakamatsu Kenji

The United States and Britain have begun a war against Iraq in the absence of another United Nations (UN) resolution, and amid unprecedented divisions among the United States and its European allies. There is concern about the repercussions this could have on international relations. It seems that the world is entering an important turning point. Various questions have been raised, such as the validity of preemptive strikes against international terrorism, the subsequent weakening of the UN in terms of its ability to maintain peace, and the changing alliances in the 21st century. The United States declared war on terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. Iraq was singled out as a country aiding terrorists. The United States demanded that Iraq cooperate with UN inspectors and give up its weapons of mass destruction. Baghdad promised to give up these weapons after the 1991 Gulf War, but it had violated UN resolutions by its failure to do so. Washington took a hard line, threatening to oust Saddam Hussein by force if he did not cooperate with inspectors and provide proof that he had given up his weapons. France and Germany called for more inspections, arguing that war should only be a last resort. Russia and China held a similar view. Most UN member states outside the Security Council also agreed, making the United States and Britain feel unexpectedly isolated. There have been anti-war demonstrations in the United States and elsewhere around the globe, involving more than 10 million people. The tide of international opinion cannot be ignored. What are the reasons for this opinion? People are concerned that a war would only hurt many civilians and produce vast numbers of refugees. There is concern that the war could further destabilize the Middle East by fanning anti-U.S. sentiment among Arabs and increasing the risk of more terrorist attacks. The United States is optimistic about the war. It believes that war would only last about four to six weeks, minimizing ...