I have been thinkering a bit.
What if the situation where to be frozen on the field as it is now, with an immediate cease-fire on both sides.
Present troops of US and UK could be assisted with other UN troops from different countries (Indonesia, Japan, some European states, some Arab countries) under the banner of UN. They could help the inspectors look for the so-called AMD's. The pressure would still be on SH, given troops are there. But troops with a cause of helping inspection, not immediately trying to create a new regime.
If they don't find anything, well, there will be nothing and they can withdraw peacefully, happy ever after. I think you might even get the French and Russians behind such a plan.
Some of you will argue that this will not relief the population (part of the population, because some part is behind SH) from SH's dictatorship, but that will eventually end anyway. Let enough medical and food aid slip into Iraq to help the population who have suffered from the boycot of the passed 12 years. In other words, show a human face. Perhaps this will create enough power that the Iraqies themselves can get rid of their local dictator, without further cassualties or destruction.
After all, the absolute real goal of this campaign (if we give Bush et al the benefit of the doubt) was just the AMD (be it US has changed a few times and added more reasons later on). If we have to change every regime in the world that has an unelected dictatorship and which is cruel to its own population, we'll be busy for the next decade...
(some will be a bit too hard to change because they have nuclear capability) and we won't be able to because the cost is extremely high.
How about this? You win in legitimity, have far less casualties, will probably get support from many more countries and reach your goal without body bags shipped back to the US and UK...
What if the situation where to be frozen on the field as it is now, with an immediate cease-fire on both sides.
Present troops of US and UK could be assisted with other UN troops from different countries (Indonesia, Japan, some European states, some Arab countries) under the banner of UN. They could help the inspectors look for the so-called AMD's. The pressure would still be on SH, given troops are there. But troops with a cause of helping inspection, not immediately trying to create a new regime.
If they don't find anything, well, there will be nothing and they can withdraw peacefully, happy ever after. I think you might even get the French and Russians behind such a plan.
Some of you will argue that this will not relief the population (part of the population, because some part is behind SH) from SH's dictatorship, but that will eventually end anyway. Let enough medical and food aid slip into Iraq to help the population who have suffered from the boycot of the passed 12 years. In other words, show a human face. Perhaps this will create enough power that the Iraqies themselves can get rid of their local dictator, without further cassualties or destruction.
After all, the absolute real goal of this campaign (if we give Bush et al the benefit of the doubt) was just the AMD (be it US has changed a few times and added more reasons later on). If we have to change every regime in the world that has an unelected dictatorship and which is cruel to its own population, we'll be busy for the next decade...
(some will be a bit too hard to change because they have nuclear capability) and we won't be able to because the cost is extremely high.
How about this? You win in legitimity, have far less casualties, will probably get support from many more countries and reach your goal without body bags shipped back to the US and UK...
*sorry, couldn't resist*