SINGAPORE -- Although U.S. President George W. Bush appears determined to rid Iraq of President Saddam Hussein, the world is deeply divided. On one hand, Hussein has been ruthless, even with his own people, and may have hidden weapons of mass destruction and sponsored al-Qaeda terrorists. On the other hand, ethical questions have arisen about international norms for intervention, international policing and the importance of international opinion.
As the United States, today's sole superpower, faces a growing challenge to its attempts to mold a new world order, one is reminded of two best sellers in the 1980s: Paul M. Kennedy's "The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers," and Barbara Tuchman's "The March of Folly."
In that connection, recent observers are asking whether the U.S. is in danger of "global overstretch." In fact, Washington faces a mounting challenge in several areas of world affairs that could provoke this overstretch.