Don’t Start a War, Brzezinski Warns

WASHINGTON — Former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski warned U.S. officials Thursday against starting a war with Iraq, saying it would lead to a protracted conflict, with victory possible only at great cost.

“If we pursue a policy of liberation of Kuwait and of destroying Iraq, it would cost much blood,” Brzezinski said. “We can say we can bomb them, and maybe that will crack their morale. . . . If their morale doesn’t crack, fighting could last three to four weeks, maybe four to five months. Are we prepared to do this?”

The comments by Brzezinski, who served under former President Jimmy Carter, were a significant departure from the silence that generally has engulfed the U.S. foreign policy Establishment in the aftermath of Iraq’s Aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait.