THE GULF WAR: The International Front : Words on the War
“The United States, evidently seeking to take the moral high ground, has said it will not retaliate in kind if Iraq makes use of its chemical weapons. This position has enormous political and military disadvantages. Our troops . . . would suffer greater casualties and have to fight in bulky protective suits. It would be tough to explain U.S. restraint--since we have a potent chemical arsenal--to Americans faced with the grisly result of Iraqi gas.
“President Bush should make it clear to Saddam Hussein that his use of chemicals would cause an immediate retaliation in kind and result in massive Iraqi losses.”-- ELLIOTT HURWITZ is a defense analyst. He served in the State Department during the Reagan Administration.
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