The speech, given to a war veterans’ organization, was the first major public presentation of a course Washington has been on for some months. Cheney asserted that the government of Iraq has acquired "weapons of mass destruction" and claimed that Baghdad has "been very busy enhancing its capabilities in the field of chemical and biological agents," and has continued "to pursue its nuclear program."

The vice president added that White House officials will "participate fully in the hearings that will be held in Congress next month on this vitally important issue." In promising to "consult" with Congress, Cheney underlined the government’s decision that it needs no approval from the legislative branch to go to war.

Cheney dismissed the tactical criticisms of several well-known figures. Among the most prominent of these has been James Baker, who served as secretary of state during the 1990–91 assault on Iraq, unleashed by the administration of the first President Bush. In a New York Times op-ed column entitled, "The Right Way to Change a Regime," Baker endorsed the Bush government’s trajectory.

A "regime change," he wrote, "will not happen through internal revolt," but through "the application of military force, including sufficient ground troops to occupy the country...depose the current leadership and install a successor government."

Baker advised the administration to present a motion to the United Nations Security Council requiring Iraq to "submit to intrusive inspections anytime, anywhere." Should Baghdad fail to cooperate in any way, he wrote, "we should apply whatever means are necessary to change the regime."

In his speech Cheney said such maneuvers would only buy Saddam Hussein "time to husband his resources."

The Washington Post, a U.S. ruling-class mouthpiece, said in an August 27 editorial that Cheney had presented a "powerful case," and was "passionate and persuasive in describing the menace the administration sees in Saddam Hussein." The editorial encouraged the administration to be "as convincing in laying out its vision of a solution."

In their articles neither the Post nor ruling-class figures such as Baker asked for proof of the White House assertions about Iraq, or questioned the policy of preemptive military assaults by Washington against sovereign nations.

German chancellor Gerhard Schröder and France’s foreign minister Dominique de Villepin distanced themselves from Washington’s course. Instead, they propose aggressive moves under United Nations cover to demand Iraq allow the return of weapons inspectors "without condition." Berlin and Paris are uneasy about the U.S. rulers’ drive to a war that, if victorious, would strengthen Washington’s grip on Middle East oil reserves and massively boost its political and military presence in the region.

Officials of the governments of Qatar, which hosts a major U.S. military base, and Egypt both stated they opposed a U.S. war against Iraq. During a televised meeting with university students in the city of Alexandria, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak said he had warned Washington that if Iraq was attacked while "Palestinians are still being killed" by the Israeli armed forces, "this would lead to a dangerous situation. "Not one Arab leader would be able to control the angry outburst of the masses," he said.

But the remarks by Washington’s imperialist rivals, and the heads of semicolonial governments in the Middle East, have been dismissed by U.S. officials.

During a speech to 3,000 Marines at Camp Pendleton on August 27, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, "Leadership in the right direction finds followers and supporters. It’s less important to have unanimity than it is to be making the right decisions...even though at the outset it may seem lonesome." He added, "I’ve found over the years...that other countries do cooperate and they do participate."

On the day of Rumsfeld’s remarks, U.S. and British warplanes attacked Iraqi radar sites and air defense posts in the imperialist-declared no-fly zones in the north and south of the country. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has notified more than 14,000 reservists of the likelihood that they will serve up to two years instead of one.

One government that has come out in full support of the U.S. course is Tel Aviv. "Any postponement of an attack on Iraq at this stage will serve no purpose," said Ranaan Gissin, an aide to Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer told the press that "I told the Americans, and I repeat it: Don’t expect us to continue to live with the process of restraint. If they hit us, we reserve the right of response."  
 
Iraqi preparations
As this discussion unfolds in U.S. ruling circles, Iraqi soldiers are digging defensive positions around Baghdad and elsewhere, "raising the specter of urban warfare," reported the August 26 New York Times. "They will use built-up areas...to make up for their lack of mobility and technology," predicted a former Marine general.

"I don’t think they can handle the synergy of American military power, the violence and speed," said Gen. Barry McCaffrey, a veteran of the Gulf War massacres. "A war could entail a few thousand U.S. casualties."

At a several-hour meeting on August 27 with the Saudi Arabian ambassador, Bush was unable to budge Riyadh from its refusal to date to allow the U.S. Air Force to use Saudi airspace or soil in the event of war. Relations between Washington and the pro-imperialist monarchy have worsened in the wake of the September 11 attacks and the deepened Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Even the close economic dependency of the Saudi monarchy on U.S. imperialism has shown signs of fraying in recent weeks. The Wall Street Journal, a vehement critic of Riyadh’s policies, observed in an editorial that "Saudi Arabia’s vast oil reserves look less important these days with new sources in Russia and Central Asia."

Saudi capitalists have withdrawn as much as $200 billion from the United States over the past few months, out of total holdings of up to $600 billion. The withdrawal stunned commentators. One European economist opined that the Saudi disinvestment is part of a broader "global move to reduce U.S. exposure."

In his August 25 speech, Cheney also reassured critics like Baker that the White Hose is preparing for a long stay in the event of military victory. "With our help, a liberated Iraq can be a great nation once again," he said, and drew a parallel with Afghanistan, where, he said, "the world has seen that America acts not to conquer, but to liberate."

On an August 25 imperial visit to Afghanistan, Gen. Thomas Franks, the head of the U.S. central command, said that U.S. forces will step up their activity in neighboring countries. "The remarks appeared aimed at Pakistan, where U.S. intelligence officials believe many of the remaining al Qaeda operatives have fled," observed the Financial Times. Up to 100 FBI agents already function inside Pakistan, joining local police in sweeps of suspected al Qaeda hideouts.  
 
 
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