I am writing this letter in response to the editorial published on Sept. 13, 2002, entitled "War on Iraq, 'It's a Bad Idea.'" I find myself extremely bewildered and confused by this entire editorial. The writer begins by saying that if we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.
Well, I am curious as to which history is meant. The Persian Gulf War was a complete and utter success; a warmonger was stopped from invading a peaceful and defenseless nation, very few civilians were injured or killed, and very few American servicemen were injured or killed.
Furthermore, to the writer's reference toward President Bush's calling our nation to war on Sept. 11 instead of making speeches about reflection and mourning, we must realize that the president is not our mother. He is not there to wipe our tears away. He is there to take care of this nation and protect American citizens from the people who want to do us harm.
The writer also stated that President Bush "called for tighter enforcement, even though no one, not even American weapons inspectors, found any hint of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction." You are correct that U.N. weapons inspectors haven't found any hint of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, because they haven't been inside Iraq for four years. Just yesterday Iraqi officials finally offered the U.N. Security Council an opportunity to send in its inspectors.
In December of 1998, the U.N. Special Commission removed all staff from Iraq after inspectors concluded that Iraq was not fully cooperating. That was the last time inspectors were allowed into Iraq. And now when Saddam feels the pressure from President Bush and other coalition forces in the area, he decides to let the inspectors into his country, but, I'm sure, not before he hides all of his weapons.
Just two weeks ago, shipments of a precisely-made type of metal tube, which can be used in uranium-enrichment programs, were intercepted en route to Iraq. This may not be proof enough to invade Iraq, but it is certainly an adequate amount of evidence to get those inspectors inside Iraq as soon as possible.
The writer also stated, "The president is doing nothing more than capitalizing on the United States' fear of terrorism in an effort to promote his own agenda, while allowing the image of the United States as warmongers meddling in the affairs of other nations to be perpetuated." I would like to know if he feels the United States was justified in "meddling" in the affairs of the Taliban as they harbored and promoted terrorists. I would also like to know if he fears terrorism at all just a few days after six members of an al-Qaida terrorist cell were discovered right here in Buffalo.
Clearly, I could go on and on about how fraudulent and ridiculous this editorial is, but in order to do so I would need an entire page in The Spectrum. I suggest the writer pick up one of the free USA Todays around campus and get a clue.
