Bush Softens Rhetoric on Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 08, 2002

Bush Softens Rhetoric on Iraq

Stung by the opposition gathering pace in Europe and among Middle Eastern allies, the Bush Administration softened its threat of unilateral military conflict, appearing to concede that America could not go it alone.

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U.S. President Bush backed off his hardline rhetoric against Iraq Wednesday, promising to consult allies and explore options for removing President Saddam Hussein without war.

Stung by the opposition gathering pace in Europe and among Middle Eastern allies, the Bush Administration softened its threat of unilateral military conflict, appearing to concede that America could not go it alone.

Mr Bush said that Saddam posed "real threats, and we owe it to our children to deal with these threats". But he continued: "I promise you that I will be patient, and deliberate, that we will continue to consult with Congress, and of course we'll consult with our friends and allies. We'll discuss these threats in real terms.

"I will explore all options and all tools at my disposal: diplomacy, international pressure, perhaps the military. But it's important for my fellow citizens to know that as we see threats evolving we will deal with them. We must deal with them."

Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, also signalled a change of gear after a week in which America appeared isolated in its determination to press ahead with military action. Hinting that the US would not strike on its own, he said: "The international community will have to come together in some fashion and figure out how we're going to have to deal with this growing threat."

Mr Bush made clear that his mind remained unchanged about the dangers posed by Saddam's chemical and biological weapons, issuing a warning in Mississippi that the US faced "countries which harbour and develop weapons of mass destruction, countries run by people who poison their own people, countries whose leadership has got a terrible record when it comes to valuing life, particularly inside their own country".

But he failed to mention Saddam by name, and he stopped short of repeating the Administration��s policy of "regime change".

That policy still stands, but Mr Bush and Mr Cheney's comments revealed a recognition in the White House that they would have to argue their policy far better before going ahead. One diplomat said: "They have finally woken up to the fact that they need to sell this properly."

The change of tone comes after a week in which doubts among senior Republicans and firm opposition from US allies in Europe and the Middle East have been raised, on top of the already well-aired splits in the Administration over war strategy.

Source: Agencies

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