March 1998 Vol. 219 No. 3  Editorial Comment

Bob Scott

Fair-weather friends

The Middle East pot was still bubbling briskly as this was written in mid-February. The U.S. administration continues to send emissaries around the world to try and scare up support for a military strike on Iraq, albeit with little success. Only the Brits, Canadians, Australians and some of the smaller Gulf states are on-board so far. Suddenly, it seems, excepting a precious few, our "friends" have become the fair-weather type.

Our "friends" on the continent, which have their eyeballs glued on getting a large piece of the Iraqi oil action sometime, have been conspicuously absent in their support. France, as usual, has been really vocal in its opposition to U.S. plans and others seem to duck and run to avoid a commitment. Boris Yeltsin, who also wants to get back into the oil business in Iraq big time, said in his inimitable foot-in-mouth manner that Clinton's threats about a "devastating" attack could lead to a world war. Of course, Russian diplomats tripped head over heels in their rush to "explain" his remarks were misunderstood. Maybe so, maybe no. But he may have been at the Stolie again and forgotten all the U.S. has done to keep him on his precarious perch the last several years.

Elsewhere, Iran must be all giggly over what's happening between their two worst foes, and Israel has been really quiet about the whole thing.

Saddam may have a screw or two loose, but he is not stupid enough — we hope — to drop Scuds on Tel Aviv again, this time loaded with poison gas. If so, he will most likely be cultivating some very large mushrooms that glow instead of grow in the dark.

Not too surprisingly, the Saudis have refused use of their bases for any U.S. strike on Iraq. Apparently, the royal family remains fearful that such support could lead to an internal revolt and is confident enough that the U.S. — regardless — will risk the lives of U.S. military people to once again protect Saudi oil-and that family.

Hell of a world, ain't it?

An addendum to the above: The Washington Times in early February reported that the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff are hacked off at Iraqi bombing target selection by the White House, shades of Viet Nam. One military source said "this is turning into a political, not a military operation."

If this is true, we should turn those naval battle groups around and sail out of the Gulf posthaste. No seat-of-the-pants politician in the White House should ever be putting the U.S. military in harms way for political ends, because the result can only be total disaster. Lyndon Johnson proved that.

Then again, maybe the speculated analogy between the movie "Wag the Dog" (which has a fictitious president start a fake war to cover up his hanky panky) and the present administration is not too farfetched. Except our war won't be fake.

If you have not lately been visiting the interior of Irian Jaya, Nigeria or Ozone Gore's home planet in a galaxy far, far away, you must be aware that the White House crowd from Billy Jeff Clinton downward initiated an attack on Independent Council Ken Starr early last month. Clearly, this attempt to divert attention from the real issues of the moment means that the hippie bunch is worried. And well they should be. Even present and past members of Billy Jeff's inner circle have voiced doubts about his veracity pertaining to this latest mess. Indeed, when former Clinton aide and crony George Stephanopoulos was somewhat critical, the White House branded him a traitor.

Another principal reason they're sweating is that much of the ultra-liberal media, long a fawning supporter of our socialist administration, have been down right critical of its obvious stonewalling evasions and blatant lying. This criticism has even been apparent in editorials from The New York Times, which some (Republicans, naturally) have referred to as the pink sheet of the left, and The Washington Post, long considered to be the mouthpiece of the Democratic party. Even long-time Clinton-leaning columnists and commentators have been veering to the right (the side of truth, honesty and vast right-wing conspiracies, naturally) and both the electronic and print media in general have been accused by the White House of being in a "feeding frenzy."

All of this, of course, leads to the following: It's about time. And we're sure everyone is staying tuned to this latest medical soap opera starring Billy Jeff, a host of spin doctors and at least one intern.

Photo courtesy of Marsha Hammers.

Here in Houston, we have discovered Gore Street, as you will note from the accompanying photo. Although we're not sure it was named after Ozone, there's every indication that it was. The reasons are that it's narrow, goes absolutely nowhere (a dead end) and is the only street we have ever seen anywhere that begins — according to the sign shown here — with a "00" (double nothing?) block number. How appropriate.

Proposed bumper sticker from reader Jim Rowin up Tulsa way: Environmentalists are a Pain in the Gas. Nicely put, Jim. But we would've spelled the last word a tad differently.

We're moving. . . Next month and thereafter, look opposite the inside back cover for this page. . . . See you around April Fool's day.

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