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Saddam Hussein: An American Obsession

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In this book, two journalists give a vivid and well-informed picture of Iraq's recent history. They play the role of friends at court, gently warning the US government that invading Iraq would be `overplaying its hand'. Their book illustrates how international journalism produces intrusive judgements on the internal affairs of other countries, assisting imperialism to prepare its attacks on sovereign states. But whatever Iraq does inside its own borders is no justification for international aggression and preventive war.

But on the other hand, the authors do remind us of some important facts. The US/British sanctions against Iraq have killed an estimated 500,000 children under five, and another 500,000 people. Aren't peacekeepers supposed to save hostages, not massacre them? The Pope called the sanctions `biological warfare against a civilian population' - but that can't be right, because our rulers say that only Iraq uses biological weapons! They note that the USA shipped large stocks of its chemical weapons to the Gulf in 1990 - so it would not be too surprising if Iraq, fearing a repeat, protected its soldiers against chemical attack.

Far from Iraq being in league with the Al-Qa'ida terrorists, the mujehadin in Afghanistan sent fighters to assist the USA in its 1990-91 war against Iraq. Afterwards, the CIA gave captured Iraqi arms and ammunition to the mujehadin - so far the only proven arming of terrorists! War against Iraq would not weaken the terrorists; it is far more likely to recruit for them.

The authors point out that an International Atomic Energy Authority official said, "We have closed down all their nuclear facilities and activities." Dick Cheney, now Vice-President, agreed, saying in 1991, "Saddam Hussein is out of the nuclear business" - unlike the USA and Britain, which still threaten to use them.

The critical issue over Iraq is not Saddam Hussein, not even greed for oil or White House dreams of world domination, but whether the genuine superpower in the world - the working class - says, "No war".