Bush vs. Kerry: what is at stake?

• Author: Bresler, Robert J.
• Position: State Of The Nation

IT IS DANGEROUS to take the rhetoric of a presidential campaign seriously. Every four years, we hear from both sides that the stakes never have been higher and this is the most important election of our generation. Perhaps that was true in 1860 or 1932 or 1980, but the likelihood that this election will change much is slight.

How would a Pres. John Kerry alter our Iraq policy? During the primaries, Kerry and eventual running mate John Edwards rejected the advice of Dennis Kucinich that the U.S. leave Iraq and turn things over to the United Nations. Kerry does claim that he will consult more with our allies and persuade them to provide more help, but nations rarely are moved by charm. Perhaps as a measure of good will to a new president, a small handful of our European allies may provide some additional symbolic help. It is unlikely, though, that such assistance would be enough to allow the U.S. to reduce its commitment. Kerry may clamor about the need to work more closely with the UN, but would he risk placing American forces under its command? The military task in Iraq is complex and daunting, requiting Special Forces, good intelligence, and a working relationship with a fledgling Iraqi army. Most important of all, it requires patience, persistence and a willingness to take risks and accept casualities. When the United Nations offices in Baghdad were subject to a bomb attack, they couldn't leave the country soon enough. UN forces' few successes come where both sides have agreed to stop fighting and allow the UN police a dividing line. There is no such situation in Iraq.

Pres. George W. Bush is well aware of how little substantive support the United Nations is likely to provide; John Kerry, should he be elected, will learn the same thing. We are in Iraq for the long haul. The best hope for success is for an Iraqi government to place the situation under reasonable control; and no Iraqi government will be able to do this without American support. The UN and NATO may send good wishes and tokens of support, but that will amount to no more than a get-well basket. If Kerry does anything, it may be to bolster American forces and deepen our commitment.

In addition, Kerry will have to pursue the war on terror with ferocity. He and Edwards may criticize the zeal of Attorney General John Ashcroft in his pursuit of domestic terrorists, but once in office, may Democratic Attorney General would understand that, if a terrorist slips through the net and...