Last month Joseph Wilson, former acting ambassador to Iraq,
predicted that President Bush may resort to waging another war in
the region prior to the 2004 presidential election. During a forum
hosted by the Education for Peace in Iraq Center, Mr. Wilson — the
man the White House sent to Africa last year to uncover the truth
about the Iraq-Niger uranium deal — hypothesized a ‘worst case
scenario’ in which political circumstances in Iraq will become so
volatile that the President will initiate another war in a
last-ditch attempt to win a second term in office.
Mr. Wilson theorized that by this time next year, southern Iraq
could be consolidated under Shia control — a theocracy that might
possibly reach as far north as Baghdad. As a result, Sunnis could
regroup and attempt to reclaim their homeland, employing guerilla
tactics exercised during the Ba’ath regime. Meanwhile, the Kurds’
push for autonomy from Turkey could result in an American/Turkish
alliance against Kurdistan, causing Kurdish allies to side against
the U.S. As a result, the Sunni, Shiites and Kurds could reasonably
concur that America must be out of the picture if any of the groups
are to reach their individual political agendas.
Back in America, Bush could have difficulty getting re-elected,
given the projected budget deficit of $500 – $600 billion, an
anticipated increase in unemployment, and Mr. Wilson’s prediction
of 10 Americans dying daily in Iraq, due to the growing
anti-American sentiment in the Middle East. This, compounded with
bloodshed in Israel resulting from the implementation of Ariel
Sharon’s political agenda (which Mr. Wilson ascertains is the real
reason for America’s war with Iraq) may drive the president into
another conflict, in order to cut a ‘quick deal’ that would put
another government in place, allowing the US to withdraw its
troops, leaving the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds to ‘have at each
other.’
In Mr. Wilson’s opinion, this possibility of war is
‘unavoidable,’ as ‘the president doesn’t want to run [for
president] as President — he wants to run as Commander-In-Chief.’
In order for another war to be avoided, America must ‘mitigate the
negative consequences.’ Mr. Wilson provided a series of short-term,
medium-term and long-term plans which could avert a potential
conflict by internationalizing the rehabilitation of Iraq — an
unlikely circumstance, given the Bush Administration’s recent rifts
with NATO, the European Union and the United Nations.
To hear Mr. Wilson’s speech in its entirety, scroll to the
bottom of the EPIC Iraqi Forum web page and select the link under
Joseph Wilson’s bio.
Go there>>
The
EPIC Iraqi Forum
