Despite having decided over a week ago that I thought the USA would be justified in an attack on Al Qaeda and the Taliban, my feelings on seeing the cover of today's newspaper ("Tagespiegel", a Berlin daily) were "Oh shit!". My nerves are a bit calmer now. The USA, for just about the first time ever, is going about an intervention in the Middle East in the right way. I don't like calling the operation a "war", but they are being very clear about the difference between the regime and the people (a distinction that was *not* kept in Operation Desert Storm). They've cut off the Taliban diplomatically (getting Saudi Arabia to rescind recognition of the Taliban was important), Bush has obliquely criticised Ariel Sharon by saying he supports the creation of an independent state for Palestinians (about time too!), and budgeted $320 million in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan (it will be needed...). He even made a nice quote: he said of Al Qaeda and similar organisations that they were "barbaric criminals who profane a great religion by committing murder in its name".
I still don't like the operation at an emotional level. I'd be happier if some or all of the following happened:
- The USA apologised for the humanitarian horror they have inflicted on the people of Iraq, and had a humanitarian budget for Iraq too.
- Bush criticised Sharon more directly. He's made conditions in Palestine pretty much as bad as the Warsaw ghetto, and it's not acceptable to turn a blind eye to this, nor to Israel's past violation of the Non Proliferation Treaty. Israeli hawks get away with far too much.
- The USA was honest about the fact that in the past sometimes it has been supportive of terrorism. Until this happens it is too easy to mock its "war on terrorism" as a "war on terrorists the USA doesn't approve of".
- The USA supported the International Criminal Court.