The US president published a foreign political program for the next year. In his interview to U.S. News and World Report, George W. Bush named several international problems which are especially important for the incumbent American administration. These are the problems which are perfectly known to everyone. The top priority problem is struggle with terrorism and with al-Qaeda particularly. Nothing new was also declared with respect to George Bush’s attitude toward Iraq. In his words, Iraq will become “the second stage of the struggle with terrorism.” However, the US president immediately adds that if Iraq disarms, a war can be avoided.
There is one more regime disagreeable for George W. Bush, the North Korean one. According to the US president, the situation concerning North Korea is “the moment when we can establish new relations with the countries that used to be our enemies, Russia and China mainly, and strengthen our alliance with South Korea and Japan.”
As for America’s foreign policy on the whole, in 2003 it will be “active in its striving for peace; it will cover a wide range of problems and settle them depending upon the situation.”
The Bush’s December statements drive to the only conclusion that the USA isn’t going to change the methods of its foreign policy. It still counts on problem solution by force, no matter where problems arise, in Iraq, North Korea or somewhere else. To tell the truth, the present-day situation cannot offer anything different: the US resources are such that there is no need to radically reconsider the methods for solution of regularly emerging problems. Why not settle political and economic problems by force if it’s possible? At the end, this is the easiest way for problem solution, which by the way produces an adequate effect. The main problem is how to transform the tactic success into a strategic one. Certainly it’s possible to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime and appoint some other government in Baghdad which would be friendly toward the USA. But unfortunately this doesn’t mean at all that the life of Iraqis will be better after such measures. By the way, it is only the US army which may help Saddam’s successors to retain the power. By the way, it was mentioned several times already that a war campaign against Iraq will give rise to a new hail of anti-American attitudes in the Moslem world, where the war will be surely treated as a new evidence of US’s aggression against all Moslems. It’s hardly likely that Washington doesn’t take this variant of the situation’s development into consideration at all. Nevertheless, President Bush persistently wants to do away with Saddam Hussein.
By the way, it is not quite clear how the White House plans to settle its problems in the relations with North Korea. It’s obvious that no military operation against Pyongyang can be launched at all, as in this case the USA’s allies, South Korea and Japan, will be in danger as well. Moreover, Russia and China will hardly like a war with unpredictable results to be waged near their borders. Probably this is the reason why George Bush mentioned some “new relations” with Moscow and Beijing. What are these relations?
So, the main point of the US Administration’s foreign policy can be described with the old saying: “If you want peace, get ready for a war.” You may like it or not, but the USA follows this concept. It’s still a problem whether other countries will be able to suggest an alternative to it.
Vasily Bubnov
PRAVDA.Ru
http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/12/23/41223.html
