oted to followUnited Nations resolution 678, section two of which "Authorizes MemberStates co-operating with the Government of Kuwait, unless Iraq on or before15 January 1991 fully implements, as set forth in paragraph 1 above, theforegoing resolutions, to use all necessary means to uphold and implementresolution 660 (1990) and all subsequent relevant resolutions and torestore international peace and security in the area." The vote to followthe resolution was as good as a declaration of war, as far as legitimateauthority is concerned, and is in some ways better. The adoption of theresolution only authorized the use of force to remove Iraq from Kuwait.This limited the ability of our military to completely destroy Iraq'smilitary or to drive Hussein from power. Our authority to remove Iraq fromKuwait was clearly legitimate.The Gulf War was fought with proportionality clearly in the leadership'smind. President Bush planned to get Iraq's troops out of Kuwait and thenstop. He had no intention of carrying the war further. Although Bush wouldhave dearly liked to have marched US troops toward Baghdad to destroyHussein's government, he did not, because of the risk of heavy casualties,and because it went against the proportionality idea.The leaders who picked targets for our forces never targeted civilians.Civilians were killed, for sure, but they were not deliberately targeted.Non-combatant immunity is an important part of every war the US has beenengaged in. The Iraqis definitely targeted civilians, as was quite evidentby their SCUD attacks on Israel and Saudi Arabia. Many civilians andmilitary personnel were killed by SCUDs during the course of the war.Civilians are not responsible for harm done to one's country, and thereforedeserve immunity.Upon entering the conflict, The US obviously had a reasonable hope ofsuccess. The Iraqis had several hundred thousand poorly trained, poorlyequipped, and poorly led troops, while the Allied forces numbered...
