Czy Powell zrezygnuje?

[Gość: pravda.ru]

But for his age, Collin Powel could even run for president

Talks about serious discrepancies in the Bush Administration have recently
become vivid again. It is said that Secretary of State Collin Powel disagrees
with the foreign policy of the USA carried out by Vice-President Richard
Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Suppositions appeared once
again that Collin Powel plans to resign. However, this time, it is said he
plans to resign in 2004, even if George W. Bush is elected president for a
second term.

An offensive against Saddam Hussein is the key reason for the discrepancies
in the US Administration. It isn’t correct to say that Collin Powel is
against such a war. It was he who stood in command of the United Committee of
headquarter commanders during the Desert Storm operation; he is also an
active participant of the organization and realization of the anti-Iraq
operation. Therefore, it is unlikely that Collin Powel is very concerned
about the future of Baghdad’s regime.

It is quite another matter that the secretary of state is working to create
an international coalition to wage war against Iraq. These attempts are
justified in the light of the long-term interests of US foreign policy. In
any case, it is more legitimate to create a coalition consisting of several
states to fight against Iraq than an anti-Iraq operation carried out by the
USA alone.

Unlike the beginning of the 1990s, when Iraq’s aggression against Kuwait was
perfectly evident, and Washington easily won international support to create
an anti-Hussein alliance, this time, the plans of the White House are not
supported even by its closest allies. According to recent opinion polls, 70%
of the British population object to an anti-Iraq war, not to mention the Arab
world!

However, hawks from the US government are not confused at all by the fact
that they enjoy no international support. The White House sticks to the
principle of the old Cato who said in the Roman senate: “Carthago delenda
est!” At that, Washington provides no arguments WHY Saddam Hussein should be
eliminated. Unsubstantiated statements that Baghdad is working on the
creation of weapons of mass destruction are probably one of the reasons of US
hatred towards Hussein. However, much financing is required to create
effective weapons (real weapons, not some envelopes with white powder). Iraq
can hardly afford this now.

Collin Powel and his followers in the US administration probably understand
perfectly well that Washington is providing no reasonable arguments for its
policy. Not to persuade the world community once again of the fact that the
USA doesn’t care about other countries’ opinion, Collin Powel makes
statements that sometimes contradict statements made by Cheney and Rumsfeld.
The other day, the secretary of state said that international inspections are
the first thing to do to settle the Iraqi problem. However, the opinions of
the US vice-president, defense secretary, and even of the US president seem
to be quite different. Press-secretary Ari Fleisher explained the words of
Collin Powel: “The secretary of state meant that inspections in Iraq are to
be the first step, because even UN experts can’t say for sure that there are
no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.” At the same time, the press-
secretary denied information about any discrepancies in the US
administration.

The matter of the fact is that no one in the White House objects to a war
against Iraq; simply disagree on when the war should be launched. The “hawks”
can’t wait until the secretary of state forms an international coalition. And
Collin Powel, in its turn, is annoyed by the fact that his opinion is not
respected. Therefore, his intention to resign is quite serious; he doesn’t
conceal this intention at all. In any case, Powel’s career is breath-taking:
there are other Afro-Americans who have managed to reach such a high
position. But for his age, Collin Powel could even run for for president
himself (due to the fact that George W. Bush is going to take part in the
presidential election in 2004, he will be seventy by the time of the election
in 2008). However, Republicans are unlikely to welcome an Afro-American to
the post of president.

In any case, it is Collin Powel himself who is to decide whether to proceed
with his political career or not. The final decision will be taken no earlier
than 2004, certainly if something extraordinary doesn’t happen.