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Guest Commentary March 6, 2002
Promoting Democracy in Iraq Would Lead to Stability and Security
The Honorable Sam Brownback
Promoting democracy abroad often leads to the benefits of creating stability and security for our own national interests, poverty alleviation and the increase of human rights. This topic is a wide-ranging one that could be applied to many areas of the world, however, there is no clearer example of the need and of our own direct interest in spreading democracy than in the case of Iraq.
Since his forced expulsion from Kuwait, Saddam Hussein has broken every UN Security Council Resolution that he agreed to. Most importantly, Saddam remains in violation of the agreement to allow inspectors to dismantle his chemical, biological and nuclear development programs and to find and destroy any current stockpiles that existed. On two separate occasions, his intransigence has resulted in limited strikes on his weapons facilities - with little effect. Current sanctions are insufficient, violated at will even by our allies. This much is clear - a regime change is required in the interest of stability in the region as well as our own national security.
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There are several schools of thought on how to affect a regime change. None are easy and all have a number of drawbacks. What is clear is that we cannot and should not depend on a coup to take out Saddam. Replacing one evil with another will not solve this complex problem. The U.S. should work for real representative government in Iraq. It is imperative that we empower the Department of Defense to move forward in implementing aggressively the Iraq Liberation Act. Saddam Hussein must go and we must work with the democratic opposition to make that happen.
The U.S. should provide a protected space within Iraq and coordinate with border regimes to provide training, equipment and arms to INC forces inside Iraq. Clinton-era directives prohibiting the use of U.S. appropriated funds being used inside Iraq must be eliminated. The INC collective forces already control more then one third of the country - with our help, they can liberate the rest of the country. The U.S. cannot allow Saddam to remain in power, with or without weapons of mass destruction.
Finally, the U.S. must be prepared to offer financial and technical assistance in the reconstitution of a broad based democratic government. Having accomplished the immediate objective, the U.S. cannot afford to walk away.
Sam Brownback, a Republican, is a U.S. Senator from Kansas. The above commentary has been adapted from comments by Sen. Brownback at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, February 27, 2002. To contact him, Click Here.
The above column has been distributed by PoliticsOL.com.
