by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright January 24, 2003
All Rights Reserved.

teaming toward a showdown with Iraq, France and Germany continue to dump cold water on White House plans to disarm Saddam Hussein. Creating some sparks, Secretary of State Donald H. Rumsfeld ruffled feathers responding to a Dutch reporter's observation that Europeans give the benefit of doubt to Saddam Hussein over U.S. President George W. Bush. "You're thinking of Europe as Germany and France, I don't," said Rumsfeld. I think that's Old Europe . . ." hitting a latent but festering nerve, remembering the European pacifism following World War I that eventually gave rise to Hitler's Third Reich. When British Prime Minister Nevel Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Edouard Deladier and Italian Fascist Benito Mussolini signed the Munich Agreement with Hitler on Sept. 29, 1938, they appeased the most brutal madman in world history.

       By 1940, Germany conquered Austria, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Czechoslovakia. German tanks rolled into Paris on June 14, 1940, setting up the notorious Vichy regime—a puppet of the Nazis. Today's pacifism in Germany and France now threatens world peace by failing to contain yet another lunatic on the verge of acquiring atomic weapons. Neither the German Bundestag nor Eiffel Tower were decimated by Islamic extremists on Sept. 11. No, it was the U.S. that took its lumps. Swearing in former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge as the new Secretary of Homeland Security, Bush vowed to protect the homeland. "It begins a vital mission in the defense of our country," Bush told a White House audience, the exact point Europeans don't get—the U.S. is currently at war with Islamic thugs hell bent wreaking havoc on the American way of life.

       When the U.N. Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1441 on Nov. 8, members knew Paragraph 5 stipulated that Iraq's noncompliance would result in "serious consequences." Resolution 1441 required Iraq to truthfully declare and cough up all weapons of mass destruction. Anything short of full and complete disclosure was regarded as "material breach," triggering "serious consequences." Since resuming inspections on Nov. 27, the U.N. has been on a goose chase, seeking hidden weapons or materiel—the exact runaround signaling material breach. On Dec. 8, Iraq was supposed to declare all banned materiel, but instead denied having anything illicit. Now the U.N. wants to cut Saddam some slack, giving inspectors extra time. "Go into that haystack and find that smoking gun," said Robert Worchester, chairman of MORI polling firm in London, expressing grave doubts about giving the U.N. more time.

       Since passing 1441 the Iraqi propaganda machine established "the smoking gun" as a pretext for war—namely, inspectors must uncover proof of weapons of mass destruction. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder stated that France and Germany were united "in favor of a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis," accusing the United States of "arrogance" in its superpower status. Neither Germany nor France should lecture the U.S. about taking appropriate steps to contain reckless dictators and global threats. Rumsfeld's remarks—though hitting a raw nerve—obliquely acknowledge Europe's history of appeasing brutal tyrants, causing 35 million civilian and military deaths in World War II. Without intending to open old wounds, Rumsfeld reminded the Germans and French that they shouldn't question U.S. motives or doubt the resolve to contain today's emerging dangers.

       Fanning the flames of anti-Americanism, French Finance Minister Francis Mer said he was "most vexed" by Rumsfeld's remarks, prompting a defensive response from German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. "Our position is not a problem, it is a constructive contribution." Neither Mer nor Fischer should be "vexed" by Rumsfeld's comments, knowing perfectly well Europe's history of violence and genocide. Seeking to protect U.S. national security, Rumsfeld's words must be interpreted in light of 9/11 and the U.S. war on terrorism. Shifting attention from Afghanistan to Baghdad, the White House knows that the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers has become the Fertile Crescent of terror. "The French and Germans need to be challenged. They're smug over there in their anti-Americanism," said Michael O'Hanlon, a military analyst with the nonpartisan Brookings Institution think tank.

       No one serious about nonproliferation and global security can permit Saddam Hussein to continue developing weapons of mass destruction. While everyone—including the White House—wants peace, the U.S. can't allow Saddam to pursue weapons that threaten national security. Since Sept. 11, Europeans forget that the U.S. is engaged in a global war on terror, requiring bold steps to thwart future attacks. Despite economic ties to Baghdad, Europeans also know that Saddam is a sworn enemy of the United States, committed—like Bin Laden—to attack and degrade the world's only remaining superpower. When the U.N. Security Council passed 1441, they knew the U.S. meant business about disarming Iraq. Now that Saddam's in material breach, it's time for France and Germany to stop playing games and get behind its trusted ally. Though hard to swallow, Rumsfeld was right on the mark.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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