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Faith-Based Geopolitics
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Am ericans will be welcom ed as liberators
This second assumption will be the focus of this section. Vice President Richard
Cheney was interviewed on “Meet the Press”, 16
th
March 2003 :
Mr. Cheney: “Now, I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the
standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators. And the president's made it very clear that our purpose there is, if we are forced to do this, will in fact be to stand up a government that's representative of the Iraqi people, hopefully democratic due respect for human rights, and it, obviously, involves a major commitment by the United States, but we think it's a commitment worth making. And we don't have the option anymore of simply laying back and hoping that events in Iraq will not constitute a threat to the U.S. Clearly, 12 years after the Gulf War, we're back in a situation where he does constitute a threat.
Mr. Russert: If your analysis is not correct, and we're not treated as
liberators, but as conquerors, and the Iraqis begin to resist, particularly in Baghdad, do you think the American people are prepared for a long, costly, and bloody battle with significant American casualties ?
Vice President Cheney: Well, I don't think it's likely to unfold that way, Tim,
because I really do believe that we will be greeted as liberators. I've talked with a lot of Iraqis in the last several months myself, had them to the White House. The president and I have met with them, various groups and individuals, people who have devoted their lives from the outside to trying to change things inside Iraq. And like Kanan Makiya who's a professor at Brandeis, but an Iraqi, he's written great books about the subject, knows the country intimately, and is a part of the democratic opposition and resistance. The read we get on the people of Iraq is there is no question but what they want to the get rid of Saddam Hussein and they will welcome as liberators the United States when we come to do that.”
11
These comments by Mr. Cheney reflect his conviction that an American military
occupation of Iraq would be well regarded by the Iraqi people. This logic could be interpreted
as the following. “Saddam Hussein is a dictatorial tyrant who for decades has abused and gassed his own countrymen. Through his brutal secret police, he tortures and kills dissenters.
His failure to abide by U.N. resolutions has led to the maintenance of sanctions which have had deleterious effect on the Iraqi population, further alienating him from his own people.
Were an army to overthrow him, they would be welcomed and appreciated.” Viewed in this light, the Iraqi “regime change” would be a relatively easy. The American military would
destroy the infrastructure of the Hussein regime and capture him for trial. The Iraqi people would be overjoyed by his overthrow, and would happily accept a democratic government
installed with American help. The reconstituted Iraqi army and police would take over from
11
Information Clearing House Wabsite, News You Won’t Find on C.N.N.,
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5145.htm
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Am ericans will be welcom ed as liberators
This second assumption will be the focus of this section. Vice President Richard
Cheney was interviewed on “Meet the Press”, 16
th
March 2003 :
Mr. Cheney: “Now, I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the
standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as
liberators. And the president's made it very clear that our purpose there is, if we
are forced to do this, will in fact be to stand up a government that's representative
of the Iraqi people, hopefully democratic due respect for human rights, and it,
obviously, involves a major commitment by the United States, but we think it's a
commitment worth making. And we don't have the option anymore of simply
laying back and hoping that events in Iraq will not constitute a threat to the U.S.
Clearly, 12 years after the Gulf War, we're back in a situation where he does
constitute a threat.
Mr. Russert: If your analysis is not correct, and we're not treated as
liberators, but as conquerors, and the Iraqis begin to resist, particularly in
Baghdad, do you think the American people are prepared for a long, costly, and
bloody battle with significant American casualties ?
Vice President Cheney: Well, I don't think it's likely to unfold that way, Tim,
because I really do believe that we will be greeted as liberators. I've talked with a
lot of Iraqis in the last several months myself, had them to the White House. The
president and I have met with them, various groups and individuals, people who
have devoted their lives from the outside to trying to change things inside Iraq.
And like Kanan Makiya who's a professor at Brandeis, but an Iraqi, he's written
great books about the subject, knows the country intimately, and is a part of the
democratic opposition and resistance. The read we get on the people of Iraq is
there is no question but what they want to the get rid of Saddam Hussein and they
will welcome as liberators the United States when we come to do that.”
These comments by Mr. Cheney reflect his conviction that an American military
occupation of Iraq would be well regarded by the Iraqi people. This logic could be interpreted
as the following. “Saddam Hussein is a dictatorial tyrant who for decades has abused and
gassed his own countrymen. Through his brutal secret police, he tortures and kills dissenters.
His failure to abide by U.N. resolutions has led to the maintenance of sanctions which have
had deleterious effect on the Iraqi population, further alienating him from his own people.
Were an army to overthrow him, they would be welcomed and appreciated.” Viewed in this
light, the Iraqi “regime change” would be a relatively easy. The American military would
destroy the infrastructure of the Hussein regime and capture him for trial. The Iraqi people
would be overjoyed by his overthrow, and would happily accept a democratic government
installed with American help. The reconstituted Iraqi army and police would take over from
11
Information Clearing House Wabsite, News You Won’t Find on C.N.N.,
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5145.htm
19
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