Senior officials say that options and timetables for the use of force have been drawn up but that President Clinton has not yet chosen one. But the officials agree that the use of force is more likely now. A decision could come soon, they say, and one aim will be to undermine Hussein's hold on power. Officials agree that one likely consequence of the use of force is the expulsion of the United Nations inspectors, known as Unscom, and the end of an extraordinary seven-year effort to disarm Iraq by inspection. And if we were to use force, we don't expect Unscom to last.
Some regional experts urge that the inspections be maintained.
The integrity of the inspection regime must be maintained, because it has been effective. But American officials argue that inspections have not been effective in discovering Iraq's chemical and biological secrets and that their integrity cannot be preserved without Iraqi cooperation. If force is used, the officials say, the stated justification will be to support United Nations resolutions and to reduce Iraq's ability to make or use weapons of mass destruction. The stated aim will not be to eliminate those weapons, since they cannot be eliminated with air power. Nor will it be to drive Hussein from power because that, too, cannot be guaranteed from the air.