The UN and Gore Should Thank Israel

by HOWARD M. BERLIN

10/11/2002

Much of the world and many Democrats including presidential also-ran Al Gore have short memory retention spans. In 1981 Israel unilaterally destroyed a nuclear reactor under construction in Iraq near Baghdad when no one else would. Instead of being greatful, the UN which has become increasing anti-Israeli, passed a resolution condemning the air strike because it was both unilateral and preemptive. The Israeli destruction of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program has delayed his goal of creating weapons of mass destruction (as if he already doesn't have other types); but for how long?

Gore, his fellow liberals and much of Europe want to take a wait and see attitude, until it becomes too late. The UN should issue a long-belated resolution of thanks to the State of Israel for taking out the Iraqi reactor and delaying Hussein's plan for at least this long. Otherwise, the issue of "taking out" Hussein with his nukes would probably have come up during the Clinton-Gore regime. What would the Clinton-Gore and the UN have done then?