that he is, Saddam Hussein agreed to the cease-fire terms in order to save his own self and to stay in office. If he were really willing and wanting to give up these weapons, he would never played these games. In 1998, he even expelled weapons inspectors from the country, then allowing them to return in November of 2002 (13). These irrational actions taken by the leader bring up many questions about his motives. Four years is a great deal of time to create and hide WMDs. Saddam Hussein was given one year to disarm, it has been twelve. Diplomacy has failed. The United States of America has shown Saddam grace and mercy many times, and in return, they were spit in the face. France and it’s allies want more time. If twelve years failed, a couple more months will not help. Diplomacy cannot work when working with a party that is unwilling to change. This brings up a very interesting question. Why must Mr. Hussein change? Why must he give up his weapons? The US has weapons that they would never give up, so why Iraq? Saddam, and his regime has shown repeatedly that he is unable to
control himself. He has used his weapons to invade other countries and to kill millions. He has used his weapons to also kill his own people. He claims to have a democracy, yet he kills all opposition against him. Such devastating weapons cannot be controlled by such a man.
In November of the year 2002, the UN Security Counsel (AMerica, Britain, China, France, Russia) passed a resolution demanding the immediate disarmament of Iraq, if not, they would face “serious consequences” (Why war would be justified 13). Saddam Hussein has repeatedly denied having any weapons that are not allowed. He has firmly stood still and resilient against our government. Even after the resolution past, Hussein has been responsible of keeping secrets. Hans Blix, the lead UN weapons inspector stated that Iraqi cooperation is unsatisfactory. It is obvious now that Saddam Hussein has not been complying.
The very missiles he claimed not to have has been deployed to Kuwait in order to attack coalition troops there.
Clearly, the dictator is in material breach of the resolution, then why aren’t the very countries that signed the resolution in defiance of the United States? France has been the head of the beast, leading the way in public humiliation toward the US (Full speed ahead 27). For the first time since 1956, the French Foreign Minister to the UN has vowed to use their power to veto to prevent any attack against Iraq (27). Public disgust for the French has never been denied in the States, but it has become a lot worse (L’Europe, C’est Moi 46). There has been an outcry by US politician to boycott French goods, and to change the names of products associated with the name “French.” Yet global views of the US has not lightened either. America in the past few months have been a target of protests in massive proportions. They have been the “largest antiwar rallies ever seen in Europe (28).” Why has America’s oldest ally, dating back to the revolutionary war, decided to turn their backs on us? The answer is simple. The Arab population in France is greater than anywhere else outside of the
Middle East. Supporting such a war would create anger, and perhaps many terrorist attacks. The main goal of a politician is to gain public favor. French polls show that indeed that French are against war in any situation (L’Europe, C’est Moi 46). Although by going against this war, the French is alienating themselves from their two closest allies (Britain, America), “Mr. Chirac is on a roll (46).” The President of France is a candidate to win the Noble Peace prize, his approval ratings are higher than ever, what more can a politician ask for? Yet his conscience weighs heavily on him. He does not doubt that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, and has agreed to participate in a war if it were the final option (Full speed ahead 28).
Germany, another ally of the US has also been hesitant in joining a war. According to a German Exchange Student at San Marino High School, Gerhard Schroder, the president of Germany, is in ruins. He has left his mark in Germany as one of the worst presidents ever. This is his last ditch attempt to gain public opinion polls. Polls how that only 15% of Germans support a war against in Iraq, and only 17% from the conservatives. By standing side by side with France, the people of Germany might stand for Mr. Schroder. This tendency to “bite the hand that fed you” is not unusual. South Korea, France, and Germany have recently decided to do that. Obviously if it were not for our intervention in World War II and the Korean War, these countries would cease to exist. Yet this trend was seen in the 1700’s when the United Stated of America declared war on her mother, Great Britain.
Many questions and claims have been brought up of the motives of the United
States. This war is about oil. This war is to show the world that the US has global domination. Both are wrong. The price of war is going to cost a lot more than people think. On the 24th of March, the President asked for 75 billion dollars for the war effort, contrary to previously thought 33 billion. Oil in Iraq could never equal up to that amount to. Making any money off of Iraq’s oil would only equal up to about one third of the cost of war. The French and Russians have been eager to accuse the US in taking their oil contracts in Iraq. This accusation is also false. The US told these countries to allow their ambassadors to leave Baghdad in the midst of bombing campaigns. This sparked them to accuse America in taking their oil. The US has never went to war for no reason. After our victory in World War II, we could have easily taken over countries like France, Japan, Germany, Britain, and others. Yet our global interests are not global domination, history has shown that. What this war is
about is the disarmament of an evil dictator, and the liberation of his people.
Saddam Hussein kills, imprisons, executes, and tortures his people. “5,000 deaths a month of children below the age of five (Why 13).” That is only the children. After the first Gulf War, he slaughtered thousands of opposition forces. He’s used chemical weapons against our military and his own people. He is Hitler in the flesh. There is no denying his ambition to take over countries, and to kill anyone who stands in his way.
War with Iraq is necessary. We must not be hesitant in going to war with them.
We cannot let innocent people die at the hands of a tyrant and look the other way. He has repeatedly defied the world with games. But death is no game. And if he wants to play a game, the game is over. 360,000 children under the age of five died since the first Gulf War. That number does not include the hundreds of thousands he has mass murdered. War against Hitler was widely supported here either, but looking back in history, we know it was the right thing to liberate the Jews. This war is not simply killing more people. It is the act of
liberating a people in need of desperate help.
