Saddam Hussein oppresses his people so much that Iraqis live in utter misery today. Also he is the one responsible for killing tens of thousands of Iraqis every year. As Pollack mentioned “If Iraqis see the United States making an effort to lead an international coalition to rebuild Iraq, construct a prosperous, stable Iraq and allow them to govern themselves, then in fact the reaction from the Iraqi peoples is likely to be very positive.” Therefore, I feel that the Iraqi people would be glad if we got rid of Hussein for them. Iraq would then be an important ally in the Middle East.
Another reason for war with Iraq is because on September 11, 2001, 3,000 lives came to an end. The cause? Islamic terrorists hijacked airplanes and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. What we learned on that day was not that we had enemies, but that our enemies had found a way to strike at us. They found that way, not by bombing our military bases and ships, but by hitting us where we thought they could not, filling us with fear. If Iraq possesses small, easy to transport biological or chemical weapons, they could strike at us, too. Therefore, the world changed on September 11, or at least some of it did, and it could change again if we don’t wage pre-emptive war on Iraq. Therefore, to prevent another disaster like September 11, we have to strike our enemies before they strike us.
Lastly, I believe that this is the right time to go to war with Iraq because the sooner the better. I seriously would not want to put it off if it is just going to buy Saddam Hussein time to produce his nuclear weapon along with his other weapons of mass destruction. I really don’t want to live to see that day. As a result, taking action right now is the only sure way of preventing this day and Hussein’s ability to acquire the necessary material to produce his nuclear weapon.
As Kenneth Pollack mentioned in his case for war, he does “agree with the view that it is likely that if we invade Iraq, we will trigger their use of weapons of mass destruction.” We are talking about a man who said he was going to get rid of weapons of mass destruction and for eleven long years he has not fulfilled his promise. Instead, “they had gotten so good at hiding their weapons of mass destruction that the inspectors just couldn’t find anything.” Therefore, if we wait any longer, we are allowing Hussein to develop more chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. He could give the weapons to terrorist organizations who could or would use those materials against the United States or its allies. In addition, Saddam would be deadlier to fight when he acquires weapons of mass destruction, so waiting is costly.
Therefore, clearly now is the time to act on Iraq when “Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction capabilities at present is very limited and weak, and the real danger is waiting too long.” At some point down the road, Saddam Hussein is going to acquire a nuclear weapon and when he does, he will attack America.
In view of this, the United States should weed out those wishing to destroy the livelihood of spirit, of peace, and of sanctity that is our one nation. We now live in a new era where we must be proactive, not reactive to threats from other nations. We have to take care of these new threats before they can fully materialize. If we do not, I believe that the consequences will be more than any of us can bear.
Pollack, Kenneth. Interview. All Things Considered. National Public Radio. 10 November 2002. ()