THIS IS SADDAM'S WAR; BLAME HIM FOR DEATHS

Four weeks after the outbreak of war, we are watching with interest an intriguing phenomenon in public relations. Iraq has launched an aggressive propaganda campaign that is, quite remarkably, showing some effectiveness, both domestically and internationally. Saddam Hussein's forces have portrayed the United States as brutally bombing civilian targets in trying to back Iraq out of Kuwait. President Bush has been put on the political defensive, in contrast to the general success America has met in combat. A squaring of accounts is in order.

Allied policy with regard to bombing has been stated clearly and often: civilian locations are not being targeted in allied bombing runs. President Bush has said repeatedly that Americans are not at war with the people of Iraq but with the aggression of Saddam Hussein. There is no ambiguity involved; civilians won't be found in allied bomb sights.

Still, no allies have denied this fact: war is hell. Regardless of policy, civilians have died and will continue to die from allied bombings. The majority of bombs dropped by allied forces are not equipped with sophisticated guidance systems. Some of these go astray. By Pentagon calculation, 90 percent of its computer-directed bombs find their mark; the remaining 10 percent, however, can account for a lot of destruction when thousands of payload pounds are being dropped daily.

In some ways, the U.S. military has fallen victim to its own good press. Videotapes showing the pinpoint accuracy of "smart" bombs left the impression that America and its allies could pick and choose their targets to such an extent that only "the bad guys" would perish.

Like most people, we are uncomfortable with the military euphemism for civilian casualties "collateral damage." No matter how you dress it, Iraqi citizens, some having nothing to do with the conflict, are meeting a regrettable end at the hands of allies; as human beings, we can not discard the tragedy of these circumstances. As Americans, however, we also realize that allies have gone to extraordinary lengths, at times risking the well-being of their own pilots, to keep civilian casualties at a minimum. If Soviet officials and the American peace movement fall prey to Saddam's propaganda, they are ignoring the facts.

Make no mistake about this point: This is Saddam Hussein's war. He initiated it through his aggression in taking over another country. He has perpetuated it by launching attacks on neutral nations. And he can likely end it by withdrawing his sovereign claim to Kuwait and backing away. The choices have all been Saddam's. And the blame for deaths in Iraq is properly placed at his feet, not at the door of the White House.