The policies of farce

Washington's credibility is in urgent need of an overhaul. The embarrassing spectacle of US officials adopting an antagonistic line towards Iraq regardless of whether or not Baghdad complies with its demands has gone on long enough. The world deserves some respite from the farce.

And what passes for US policy on Iraq applies equally to US policy towards the Arab-Israeli conflict. If it were not so dangerous, the sight of US officials espousing the cause of human rights while lending Israel unqualified support as it violates every known principle of international law would be laughable.

Last week the world was treated to the spectacle of Washington voting against a UN General Assembly resolution refusing any measures taken by Israel, or other states, to consider Jerusalem the Israeli capital. This week Washington performed its by-now-expected double-take, continuing its rhetoric against Baghdad despite the fact that Iraq has met its deadline, imposed by the UN, turning in, a day earlier than schedule, a 12,000 page report on its armament programmes.

And just as Washington is considering a massive package of extra economic and military aid, presumably to reward Israel for its illegal occupation and the random murder of Palestinians and UN employees, it is simultaneously beefing up its military presence in the Gulf to facilitate action against Iraq which, in the opinion of the UN secretary- general and many world leaders, is fully co-operating with the demands of the international community to disarm.

The US constantly announces that it is not applying double standards in the Middle East, though nobody in this part of the world can be expected to take such announcements seriously. Defending Washington's bias towards Israel, and against Iraq, has become a far too embarrassing task for even Washington's closest allies.