I liked the Hans BLix article I posted in another thread:
Hans Blix dismisses many of the theories that flourish about why the USA entered Iraq:
- I do not believe this is a war of civilizations, a war between Islam and Christianity. I do not believe that they are trying to establish an american hegemony in Iraq.
Neither is oil the foremost reason for USA's actions, nor the threat against Israel.
Instead, Hans Blix says the reason which led the USA to war is what was the country has held from the very start.
- I believe they seek guarantees that Iraq does not have nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction or the ability to get them, he says.
After the attacks of September 11th 2001 the US attitude towards Iraq and terrorism hardened.
Hans Blix started his international career in the 1940ies as a councilman in the International section of FPU (the People Party Youth segment). During the People Party government 1978-1979 he was their Foreign Minister. A few months ago the eyes of the world were turned to the 75-year old Blix when he as chief of the UN's weapon inspectors in Iraq were to report their results.
Hans Blix is disappointed that the weapon inspectors were not granted more time, but at the same time he seems to have an understanding for why the USA did not want to extend the deadline and risk additional delays. Experience with Iraqi procrastination from earlier controls are the background for this.
Blix believes Iraq could have avoided confrontation by clearly declaring what weapons they still kept and that the country would start dismantling them. This was not done, instead Iraq tries to convince the UN that there were no chemical weapons in the country.
On the question whether he feels responsible for the war, Hans Blix responds with a resolute no.
Without the threat of military action Iraq would never have allowed inspections in the country. Hans Blix thinks the inspections went fairly well. In January the inspections became more intense.
- We were granted access to all areas without any delays, but it didn't really straighten out any question marks, he says.
The weapons inspectors requested more time for their work, but at the beginning of March the USA decided enough was enough. The Iraqi war began.
Three and a half months is a short time for inspections, Blix states. He does not believe the discussions in the UN during Fall were held with such a short timespan in mind.
Hans Blix works on a mission from the UN Security Council until this summer. Before Blix retires he hopes to be able to return to Iraq and finish the work the weapons inspectors started last fall. The chance of finding any weapons of mass destruction in the country increases markedly now that Saddam Hussein's regime has fallen, according to Blix.
- Iraq is a police state. I think more people are prepared to talk after the war. It is easier to find weapons when the country is liberated.
It is difficult for the USA to point out a solid reason for war. It is rather the absense of a solution from Iraq that became the motivation.
One could ask why the USA came to the UN looking for support for the war in the fall of last year. There were already signs that the USA doubted continued inspections. There were strong wishes for cooperation from USA's side -- through the UN the USA could gain legitimacy for a war on Iraq.
The division within the UN however prevented the plans of support for an interdiction. Hans Blix is convinced that France sooner or later would have agreed to a march into Iraq.
- Europe has been relatively lame in the question of weapons of mass destruction. The five permanent members of the security council agree to restrict the spread of nuclear weapons to themselves, Blix says ironically.
He thinks one could demand that these five nations themselves should aim to be good examples. Primarily the USA has a large arsenal and even continues development of nuclear weapons.
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