The line drawn in the Middle East sand was made deeper and graver Monday by President George Bush when he acknowledged the obvious, that foreign civilians held against their will by Saddam Hussein are hostages.

In using the word “hostage” in his speech before the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Mr. Bush provides further evidence that Hussein deserves the condemnation of the international community, but he also acknowledges that the more than 3,000 Americans and thousands of other foreign nationals in Kuwait and Iraq have become human pawns, a shield that a violent and unpredictable dictator may use against a compassionate international community that has united against him.

Circumstances demanded that the president be candid about the situation. Having thousands of his countrymen in the hands of this mercurial megalomaniac and referring to them as “detainees,” did not make them more safe. In fact, it may have worked against their welfare.

The predicament of these hostages dramatizes the international nature of Hussein’s manace. It also should remind the Bush administration of the need for the United Nations to maintain a lead role in dealing with Iraq.

Even Iran, which Hussein courted last week, announced Monday that it will abide by the U.N. decision to impose economic santions against Iraq. This is a significant victory for the international community, which would have been hard pressed to effectively isolate Iraq had it successfully joined forces with its former enemy.

This crisis presents the United Nations with an unwanted, but historic opportunity to rise to its potential as an international peacemaker. The United States should assist the United Nations in that role. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait has dramatized the need for continued military strength and vigilance, but it also has emphasized the growing power and importance of international public opinion and political consensus.