U.S. Iraq Stance Is Drawing Flak

With the threat of a U.S. attack on Iraq eased, the Clinton administration is falling back on a containment policy that is drawing criticism at home and abroad. It’s “giving containment a bad name,” said a top Bush administration official.

U.S. lawmakers still want to throw Saddam Hussein off his presidential pedestal. At the same time, most members of the United Nations don’t want military power used to enforce weapons inspections and want to do business with Iraq again.

So what can the administration do to bring Arabs and Europeans into line with an approach that basically attempts to keep Iraq in a box?

Several foreign policy analysts say President Clinton should open the door to ending economic sanctions if U.N. inspectors declare Iraq free of doomsday devices - even if Saddam stays in power - and U.S. officials should focus on reigniting the moribund Middle East peace process by putting more pressure on Israel. And some say the U.S. policy of “dual containment” of Iraq and Iran should be refined.