Very rarely, especially in recent times, do we see US imperialism laid bared in all its unvarnished ferocity. Previously the United Nations - or some other multilateral body - was roped in to give Washington's military action the veneer of legitimacy. Not this time.

Much has been said about the legality of the war against Iraq after the United States and its minions failed to get UN backing. Suffice for us to add that the US is not learning the lesson which it has tried so hard to teach the rest of the world.

Much has been said, too, about Saddam Hussein's atrocious human rights record. Having been to Baghdad twice - during the 1991 Gulf War and a year later - I have no doubt about the savagery and brutality of the Iraqi regime. Just before Desert Storm, I was in northern Iraq to investigate the 1988 poison gas attacks o­n the Kurds which left more than 5,000 dead.

But make no mistake - this war is not about saving Iraq, let alone its Kurdish minorities.

Indeed, don't expect freedom for the Iraqi Kurds. Already, the US and Turkey are stitching a deal which would allow Turkish troops a free hand - just as it did in the aftermath of the 1991 war - to wipe out any attempt by Iraq's Kurdish minorities to liberate their homeland.

The reason: If the Iraqi Kurds were to declare an independent state in their enclave, it would set an unacceptable example for their restive cousins in Turkey's south east. And the Turks - who have been just as ruthless, perhaps even more than Saddam in suppressing their Kurdish minorities - would have none of that.

Crimes against humanity

Indeed, there was a way to stop Saddam Hussein other than a devastating war.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) - which ironically came into operation last week - was to plug a loophole in our international judicial system that allowed Idi Amin, Pol Pot and Pinochet, among many others, to evade justice.

The court has powers to punish individuals for crimes against humanity which involve systematic attack against civilians - murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, arbitrary detention, torture, rape and other acts of sexual violence.

Saddam, and many other dictators, would have fit the bill nicely.

But the man who has strenuously opposed the establishment of the court is none other than US President George W Bush.

Even during the planning stages, the court's powers were so watered down - as a result of US opposition - that it will o­nly have jurisdiction over states that have endorsed the treaty. Dictators who refuse to ink the pact can get away scot-free.

Final act

Last May, in a major reversal, Bush revoked o­ne of Bill Clinton's final acts as president which was to sign the ICC treaty o­n Dec 31, 2001 and bring US closer to joining the 90-odd countries which have ratified the pact.

Having killed his predecessor's move, Bush set out to undermine the legitimacy of the court by aggressively seeking immunity for American troops based outside of US.

Governments around the world are pressured to enter into impunity agreements not to surrender US citizens to the ICC. In many cases, Bush threatened to withdraw aid from those who refused. To date, 24 nations have signed the impunity agreements.

Next, Bush demanded that American troops serving in the UN force in Bosnia be given immunity from prosecution by the court. Otherwise, he would pull them out. To appease the US, the Security Council in a shameful decision voted to give American troops a 12-month exemption from prosecution - to be renewed annually.

Put simply, the US wants impunity for its actions while demanding accountability from others.

Firepower

Given the firepower in its arsenals, including conventional weapons of mass destruction, the invasion of Iraq is likely to be completed within days, if not weeks.

American field commanders have warned Iraqis not to allow themselves to be targets. Yet, the generals refused to rule out bombing hospitals, schools and mosques should they believe that these buildings are used to shelter Saddam's troops.

Perverse logic indeed - much like the case of the driver who told the police that the accident was because the tree got in the way.

So, too, is the logic that bombing Iraq will help protect human rights.