Editorial: Saddam now faces unified opposition

Friday, Nov. 8, 2002 | 3:41 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION: Nov. 10, 2002

The Bush administration two months ago chose to tone down its rhetoric about going it alone against Iraq. Most Americans supported the president's firm stand against Saddam Hussein's weapons production and long-standing rebuff of United Nations' inspectors. Bush's unilateral tone, however, was damaging our relationships with key allies, including Germany, France and Russia. Bush advisedly decided on a more diplomatic course and arranged talks with the ambassadors representing the 15 nations of the U.N Security Council. The result was a diplomatic coup -- a unanimous Security Council resolution Friday that has the world standing behind what the United States has been saying to Saddam: Disarm or be disarmed.

President Bush now has the force of the United Nations behind his ultimatum to Saddam. The Iraqi dictator must now allow unfettered access to U.N. weapons inspectors, comply with an inflexible timetable, and destroy all weapons of mass destruction. The president held on to the United States' right to take unilateral action. At the same time, he held on to the country's role as a leader, as opposed to being a loner, in standing up to rogue nations.