Saddam Hussein has apparently told the U.N. that he will “unconditionally” accept weapons inspectors back into Iraq.
The Bush administration is already saying it will not take him at face value, which seems sensible given his track record. But meanwhile I’m sure the gears at the U.N. are turning. Either this inspection mission will happen (doubtful but possible) or the administration hawks who’ve warned that Saddam will just use new inspections to procrastinate and confuse the situations will be proven right. Either way, it’s an important and necessary development.
This entire sequence of events is one that, critics of the administration have long insisted, needed to happen before the U.S. begins any military action aimed at “regime change.” The Cheney/Rumsfeld “go it alone” axis seemed to balk at that need all summer. But they have not prevailed — as Josh Marshall keeps pointing out.
If we go to war, let it be in concert with a community of nations whom Saddam Hussein has collectively resisted, not in isolation as an act of imperial prerogative. Let it be a last resort of regrettable necessity, not a first resort of convenience.
Better yet, let’s achieve our goals without ever needing to launch an invasion or start another war. That’s what diplomacy is all about, and that’s why we have a United Nations. And it can happen — unless Bush and his team are so determined to have a war that they keep raising the goalposts.
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