ANYONE BUT US?
In the Guardian today George Monboit presents quite a bizarre view on the Iraq situation. He says that a US-UK war against Baghdad would be unjust but then says he would support military action by others “without imperial ambitions” to topple Saddam. Hmmm.
At least Monboit suggests, unlike many on the left, that toppling Saddam is a good idea but I think he has unconsciously revealed the main motive of many in the ‘anti-war’ camp – simplistic anti-Americanism.
He does make one good point – whether the war will be just or not depends on whether the US administration is interested in supporting democracy after Saddam or whether they would back another military dictator. That is the crux of the matter.
Actually the recent record of post military-intervention government’s is pretty good. Bosnia and Serbia both have democratically elected government’s and Kosovo has not been handed over to KLA thugs as some suggested it would – even Afghanistan has gone relatively smoothly.
Monboit’s view reminds me of the position many on the left took about the Yugoslav conflicts – yes to an EU military intervention, yes to a UN military intervention but no, no to the only people who were ever going to actually carry out a serious campaign to stop Milosevic. But he is right that it would be good to get a clearer indication about the post-Saddam game-plan.
