Soros slams Bush 'cowboys'
2002-10-09 08:48
London - The Hungarian-born financier and philanthropist George Soros charged on Tuesday that "cowboys" within the US administration were driving policy on Iraq in defiance of the international community.
Soros strongly criticised President George W Bush's push for
pre-emptive military action in Iraq, during a public conversation
with Anthony Giddens, director of the London School of Economics.
He described the Bush doctrine, which he said was based on a
determination to uphold military superiority, as highly dangerous.
"There is the sacrosanct sovereignty of the US... And then there
is the sovereignty of everybody else," said Soros, who is a US
citizen.
"I don't believe that this is what Americans stand for. We have
to deal with Saddam in a lawful manner," he said, prompting a round of applause.
Favours unilateral action
"The last surveys show that only 25% of Americans - as
few as in Europe - are in favour of unilateral action (in Iraq),"
added Giddens, a key advisor to Britain's ruling Labour Party.
Soros further charged that the United States looked set to
renounce international co-operation altogether by pushing
unilaterally for action against the regime in Iraq.
"There are people in the US who don't want Saddam Hussein to let
the (UN weapons) inspections take place because Saddam Hussein
would still be there," Soros said.
He expressed hopes however that the more moderate members of the administration in Washington would rein in the most hawkish
advocates of military action.
"Even though you have these cowboys in the US administration,
they still have constraints upon them," he said.
Concerning US relations with President Vladimir Putin's Russian
government, Soros said: "Putin loves the political game proposed by the Bush administration," adding: "They are made for each other."
- Sapa-AFP
- SAPA