A Change Of Heart From The U.S.

STAR- Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli writes about the change in United States’ approach to the Iraqi issue. A summary of her column is as follows:
Washington seems to have had a change of heart on how to deal with the Iraqi issue. The determination of the US to strike Iraq seems to have lost some steam. While a few months ago US newspapers were full of reports of the possibility of the US sending troops to Iraq, now the same newspapers try to avoid using the words ‘military operation.’ The same goes for President Bush’s National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. Of course she always states that Saddam Hussein should be removed from power, but she never neglects to add that Bush has yet to decide on the method of his removal. In addition, US Secretary of State Colin Powell is the person most opposed to an operation in Iraq. Lately, Powell and his circle seem to be spending more time trying to form an organized Iraqi opposition than planning a military operation in Iraq. Moreover, former Secretary of State under Nixon and ‘US operation expert’ Henry Kissinger has been seen frequently huddling with Powell in recent days. All these factors show that the US is trying to oust the regime not through military force but by using Iraq’s own internal forces. It’s not difficult to understand the reasons for the US’ change of heart. Firstly, and most importantly, Bush has been unable to drum up the international support he was looking for to move against Saddam Hussein. The Arab states that supported the operation against Iraq during the Gulf War have now turned their backs on the US. The ‘No to Operation in Iraq’ campaign was launched by Egypt. Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia were of the same opinion, so they declared that they did not support US military plans in Iraq. As the European states (the only exception being Britain) and particularly Germany declared that they too had no taste for any operation, the only support the US was left with was Turkey. However, Turkey had already decided to hold elections, and it also had a sick prime minister as well as a sick economy. Now, clearly economic and political developments in the US always have repercussions in Turkey, and we’re beginning to see the effects of the sudden hush in US saber-rattling. Turkish politicians who now realize that they won’t be getting enough votes to get into Parliament and so want to forestall early elections have already started to encourage the US to go ahead with a military operation in Iraq.

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION