For 12 years, the international community has insisted that
Saddam Hussein's regime disarm. This was most recently reiterated by a
unanimous UN Security Council vote on November 8, 2002.
Genuine disarmament can only be accomplished through the willing
cooperation of the Iraqi regime. So far we have seen few if any signs
that the Iraqi regime has made a strategic decision to disarm, and many
signs that it has not.
When a country decides to disarm,
there are three common elements to its behavior:
The decision to
disarm is made at the highest political level;
The regime puts in
place national initiatives to dismantle weapons and infrastructure;
The regime fully cooperates with international efforts to implement and
verify disarmament.
Iraq's behavior contrasts sharply with successful disarmament
stories. Instead of cooperation and transparency, Iraq has chosen to
concealment and deceit best exemplified by a 12,000 page declaration
which is far from "currently accurate, full, and complete," as required
by the UN Security Council.