Charles Krauthammer is furious that the French and Russians are resisting the lifting of UN sanctions against Iraq, demanding in return a greater UN (i.e., Russian and French) role in Iraq's reconstruction (i.e., oil business). Krauthammer would like the US to demand that the Security Council end the sanctions immediately, and simply flout the sanctions altogether if the Council refuses. The problem with this approach, of course, is that it would be terribly hypocritical of the US to break the sanctions regime after years of demanding the world's adherence to it.

Instead, the US should concede the point, allow the sanctions to continue, and announce that America will henceforth obey them with exactly the same scrupulousness and respect that the French and Russians have shown them, lo these dozen years or so. Problem solved.