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March 21, 2003

-- Opinion --

Pride and power on display in Iraq

By Kaishi Lee

The war has begun. 

It seems ironic that while the rest of the world protests against war, President George W. Bush has given the go-ahead to invade Iraq .

Have all means of diplomacy been exhausted? Why must we be rush into war? 

True, Iraq does have a history of antagonism and has violated United Nations resolutions for 12 years. But the ends must justify the means.

Passing a second UN resolution would have indicated international support for going to war. The United States would also be in compliance with international law.

Without a new resolution, the UN’s role as a peacekeeping body has been undermined.

Isn’t it absurd then that the U.S. has requested the UN’s Security Council to help in rebuilding Iraq , after presumably winning the war?

The U.S. seeks to build a peaceful and democratic government in Iraq , but war is violent and ultimately leads to bloodshed and the deaths of innocent civilians.

It’s a double standard, too, that the U.S. is looking to create a democracy in Iraq only, forgetting that other Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt are autocratic states.

Is this war then a deviation from the war against terror? Since Osama bin Laden hasn’t been captured, this seems like a political ploy since news coverage will be focused on Iraq .

Maybe, then, coverage on the war in Afghanistan will be ancient history. But we cannot afford to have another botched-up job like the first Gulf War in 1991.

This war isn’t about oil. It’d be easier and cost less to cut a deal with Saddam Hussein for oil.

This war is about pride and power.

Over the past year, Bush has repeatedly claimed that Iraq is a rogue state, extremely dangerous, that is amassing weapons of mass destruction.

It’d be humiliating if Bush decided to withdraw from the warpath and allow UN inspectors more time.

This war is also the first time Bush’s new pre-emptive strike doctrine has been used.

I guess its purpose is to show rogue states like Iran and North Korea the military might and power of the U.S. and deter them from unleashing their nuclear weapons.

Still, watching the war unfold, I can only think that what’s done cannot be undone.

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