[punky]

Originally Posted by Graham

Unfortunately even with programmes like the "food for oil" one, it's impossible to enforce them on a country or a ruler who doesn't care.

You agree sanctions wern't working then? Good. As Xaccers said, they worked as they contained Saddam enough to prevent war, and thus fulfilling the UN's obligations, bu the Iraqis, they were SOL there.

So what are the options? Remove the sanctions and give Saddam a victory and make the UN look even weaker? Or invade any country that's abusing human rights and killing its own population in which case Iraq is only one on a very long list?

You could always try and remove Saddam. I think that would go a long way to curing the human rights problem.

And you are right, Iraq is top of a (disgracefully) big list. Why is it a big list? Because the UN's apathetic and lethargic attitude to rogue regimes has meant that such regimes can flourish. It has nothing to stop them, unless the country is re-taken by force by its own people, which rarely happens, and when it does, it causes instability. You think Iraq was bad under Coalition control, you should look at some African states.

only succeed in being revealed as a bully and a hypocrite by attacking small countries whilst ignoring ones like China who engage in massive abuses of rights, but which couldn't be touched.

Having a UN commission precisely to deal with this problem would make sure countries like China didn't escape justice, which some don't, like Iraq, because of.. lets say, 'other triggers'.

The US is called a bully because it is its own country, which doesn't give itself legitimacy whilst performing these actions. The UN wouldn't be called a bully if it had a fair and just system for dealing with this.

As opposed to invading and taking over by force? Yes.

I thought you said sanctions don't work, because you can't enforce them on someone like Saddam?

It's amazing to think that someone would think that starting a war is really a good way of trying to fix a problem like this.

Wether you think Iraq is better off without Saddam or not, he is in prison and he'll answer to his evil deeds. You would never have seen that under UN sanctions.

I don't like war for precisely the same reasons as everyone else. Innocent people lose lives, things are destroyed, and it costs a fortune. If there was any other way to remove Saddam and his 2 sons from power without force, I would have supported that before war.