Ashes in our mouths

DONALD KIRKs reporting from northern Iraq (see page 20) conveys a depressing message. In our eagerness to bring our troops home we are mortgaging the future. UN troops, no matter how well intentioned and dedicated, do not provide the reassurance or the deterrent power of Americans. Saddam may perhaps hesitate to overrun a UN force and risk reawakening the ire of the international community; on the other hand, the demonstrated ineffectuality of the UN forces can only enhance Saddam's ability to press his advantage through intimidation.

Not only the Kurds will be the victims. The continuing American retreat undermines the credibility of Security Council Resolution 687, which obliged Iraq to dismantle its nuclear-, chemical-, and biological-weapons capabilities. The information-received through a recent defector-that much of Iraq's nuclear-weapons program survived the war is grim news. Saddam's ability to get away with serious cheating increases with every passing day. What punishment could he conceivably suffer for such defiance once U. S. troops have gone home aside from more paper resolutions from New York?

As NR has argued, Saddam's recovery is something devoutly to be regretted. International pressures to lift economic sanctions will eventually mount; even if we veto such a lifting of sanctions, international cheating will spread. For much of the international discipline in enforcing sanctions, too, is a function of the perception of America's determination. What have other nations to fear from us if they are caught evading sanctions-other than more paper criticisms from Washington?

Saddam may be on his good behavior for a while until all U.S. troops are home enjoying their victory parades, and until he has had a run at getting economic sanctions removed. Then we'll see.