A victorious president
What a week it was for President Bush. Following an election that gave his Republican Party control of Congress, the U.N. Security Council on Friday unanimously approved a get-tough resolution on Iraq.
Saddam Hussein must disarm and allow U.N. weapons inspectors access to all sites, including the so-called presidential palaces, or face “serious consequences.”
That the vote was unanimous speaks well of Secretary of State Colin Powell’s diplomatic finesse.
While the world, and many Americans, saw Bush as a gun-slinging cowboy ready to blast Saddam into oblivion, Powell was dispatched to persuade Security Council nations to toughen their stance on Iraq.
An affirmative vote was never certain and even as recently as last week appeared at risk for a veto.
The president was able to maintain his tough-talking image while his point man Powell softened the resolution language enough to convince France, Syria (Iraq’s Arab neighbor) and even Russia, to join in.
Yet the resolution still carries with it the threat of force should Iraq decline its terms. And it carries a quick deadline.
Iraq must respond by Nov. 15, with weapons inspectors arriving as early as Nov. 18.
The most important element of having all nations on board is that the United States will no longer be viewed as a rogue nation.
The world’s consensus and message to Iraq is this: Disarm or we will force you to do so.
The resolution fails to mention war – and military conflict is still avoidable – but there is little doubt what “serious consequences” means.
Powell proved through these tough negotiations that he is a world class diplomat.
President Bush proved that he has chosen wisely in surrounding himself with such capable advisors. Those who doubted two years ago whether Bush was capable of rising to great leadership have learned that he is both in the political arena, as the election proved, and in the diplomatic arena, as the resolution shows.