Washington is determined to go ahead with an assault on Iraq, although more Americans are having second thoughts, writes Anayat Durrani from Los Angeles The stage has been set for a confrontation between the United States and Iraq. Like his father nearly 11 years earlier, President George W Bush has received Congressional support authorising him to use military force if necessary against Iraq. The Bush administration is now preparing to carry out its long held plans to deal with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, despite a nationwide mounting anti-war sentiment. On 7 October, millions of Americans tuned in to hear Bush make his case for war with Iraq. In his speech Bush called Iraq a country that "gathers the most serious dangers of our age in one place". Calling the Iraqi regime an "arsenal of terror", Bush told the nation that Hussein has the capability to use weapons of mass destruction, has used them in the past and he is trying to expand his arsenal of weapons. He called Hussein a "murderous tyrant" who might be plotting an attack against the US with biological and chemical weapons or provide such weapons to terrorists. Citing the terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania on 11 September 2001, Bush sought to convince the American people that Hussein must be dealt with to prevent another such tragedy. "Facing clear evidence or peril, we cannot wait for the final proof the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud," Bush said in his half-hour speech. He continued, "Understanding the threats of our time, knowing the designs and deceptions of the Iraqi regime, we have every reason to assume the worst, and we have an urgent duty to prevent the worst from occurring." This past week President Bush received the backing he needed from Congress to use force if necessary to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction as required by United Nations Security Council resolutions and to possibly remove the Iraqi leader from power. The Republican-led House passed the war powers resolution by a vote of 296-133 on Thursday. The following day the Democratic- led Senate voted 77-23 in favour of an identical resolution. The resolution urges the UN to impose a tough new measure on weapons inspections in Iraq, but ultimately gives Bush the power to act militarily if the UN fails to disarm Iraq. Under the war powers resolution, Bush must notify Congress within 48 hours of any military action ordered and to certify that all attempts at a diplomatic solution have failed. It also requires the administration to report to Congress every 60 days once military action begins. Following the vote in the US Senate, Bush said in a statement that Congress "has spoken clearly to the international community and the UN Security Council". He added, "Saddam Hussein and his outlaw regime pose a grave threat to the region, the world, and the United States. Inaction is not an option, disarmament is a must." In his radio address on Saturday, President Bush told the nation: "Our country and our Congress are now united in purpose. America is speaking with one voice: Iraq must disarm and comply with all existing UN resolutions, or it will be forced to comply." Bush called the confrontation with Iraq "an urgent matter of national security". The overwhelming support in Congress marks the beginning of the sequel to the Bush-Hussein saga, one that was started by the first President Bush in 1991 during the Gulf War. The Gulf War began on 16 January 1991, when a US-led coalition launched an assault on Iraq expelling Iraqi troops from Kuwait, but leaving Hussein in power. Since taking office, the second President Bush has made it his long term goal to pick up where his father left off and remove the Iraqi president from power. The Bush administration accuses Iraq of developing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons in defiance of UN resolutions passed during the 1991 Gulf War. Although the international community supports diplomatic means to resolving the Iraq issue in order to avoid war, President Bush now has the option to sidestep the UN and act on his own. However, the Bush Administration is going the diplomatic route first. At the UN, US diplomats are pushing for a tougher resolution that would call for military force if Iraq fails to give complete access to arms inspectors within 30 days. Only the US and Britain support the plan, with France, Russia and China in opposition. The UN Security Council planned to begin discussions on the resolution on Wednesday. In the meantime President Bush is working hard at coalition building before the showdown with Iraq. However, US allies are asking for evidence that Hussein is planning to launch an attack against the US or its allies, evidence the US has not as of yet produced. There is no evidence that links Hussein to the 11 September attacks against America and his exact weapons capability is unknown. Iraq has repeatedly denied having weapons of mass destruction. On Thursday Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Tawab Al-Mulah Huwaish called the allegations "lies". The Iraqi government has since offered to let UN inspectors return to Iraq for the first time in four years. In a second letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Iraq offered to lift any obstacles for UN weapons inspectors but made no concessions on eight controversial presidential sites. US officials have dismissed the offer as more of the same from Iraq. Meanwhile, polls show a decline in US public support for war with Iraq, especially if the US chooses to act alone without allies. Most Americans support UN inspection teams returning to Iraq and the use of military action only as a last resort. A recent Pew Research Centre poll found that Americans are more concerned with the economy and other domestic issues rather than national security issues. On 6 October, thousands of protesters rallied in several cities nationwide against war with Iraq, the largest protests occurring in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The demonstrations were organised by the Not in Our Name coalition, with members ranging from Edward Said to actress Susan Sarandon. Larger protests are scheduled for 26 October in Washington, and San Francisco.
