Reality Check for the United Nations
President Bush's speech to the United Nations yesterday was a reality check - Saddam Hussein is out of power, no more forced rapes, torture and genocide, an Iraq that is rebuilding according to the needs and wishes of its people, not according to the wishes of dictators and religious whackos. Well, he didn't say whackos, but you get the idea.
U.N. Secretary general Kofi Anan warned against "unilateral" action. But the U.S. was simply acting on Security Council resolutions that the U.N. feared acting on.
And did he mean the Iraqi people should have continued to suffer while the U.N. fiddled with diplomatic niceties? Ask any of the surviving relatives or women who were raped if they are glad they don't have to face that anymore.
In a room full of amoebas, the one with a spine is king. The president said the right things and challenged the U.N. to do the right thing in helping with the reconstruction of Iraq.
I'm betting they won't, but I hope I am wrong.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.
Originally published September 24, 2003.
