A Round of Gulf

Some progress in William Cohen's ongoing battle for Mideast hearts and minds: The U.S. and Saudi Arabia issued a joint warning to Iraq early Monday. "We are pleased with our talks and confident that the fine, close cooperation of our two countries will continue." Despite the good feelings, the results remain the same: No U.S. strike aircraft will fly out of Saudi bases. Cohen did say he expected the Saudis to at least allow support planes on their airstrips. En route to Kuwait, he told reporters it's harder to muster support when Saddam isn't "raping and pillaging and setting oil wells on fire."

At least Cohen's having more luck than his boss. President Clinton worked the telephones over the weekend in a bid to drum up some much-needed international support for a possible strike. But neither Australia nor the Netherlands would provide it; as for Canada, White House aides said, Jean Chrétien might soon indicate "an interest in supporting or participating." All in all, it's hardly a Gulf War-style coalition being built here. Meanwhile, Boris Yeltsin continues to rail against the United States' "unrealistic and dangerous" attempt to establish "world hegemony." And congressional leaders continue their own rhetorical journey into jingoism. If Clinton can negotiate his way out of this one, he'll surely deserve that Nobel Peace Prize.