COMMENT
Page 7
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WAGE WAR ON THE COWBOYS
an you wage war half-heartedly? During the recent flare-up in the Gulf more cruise missiles were launched at Iraq than ever before. Doesn't that say something about how we conduct war nowadays? It helps to have strong resolve in any conflict. Little more than nine years ago a certain US General looked into a TV camera and calmly told the world's press how he intended to deal with Saddam Hussein's army: "First we're going to cut it off. Then we're going to kill it." Contrast that with the way we wage war against cowboy hauliers (see news story, page 6). According to the latest enforcement report from Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, traffic officers make up only 7% of each force—down between 1-2% since the early 1990s. So while we've fired more cruise missiles at Iraq we've got fewer traffic policemen to catch rogue operators. At this rate they'll be as hard to hit as Saddam himself. Money helps—after all, the sinew of war is money, and ridding the industry of law-breaking hauliers will take money to pay for people and equipment. Meanwhile, what have we got? The Vehicle Inspectorate's long awaited (and overdue) Joint Enforcement Database Initiative has yet to become fully operational. Impounding is still a promise subject to the whim of Parliamentary time (and totally dependent on the effectiveness of JEDI). And what about resolve? Does the Government really WANT to get rid of all the cowboy hauliers once and for all?
According to Home Office Minister Paul Boateng: "Better and more effective leadership can and will lead to real improvement in roads polic ing." If that's so, we recommend General Colin Powell. He's about the only one who has the kind of resolve needed to win this war.