10 Questions about Iraq

Posted on: 2/28/2003 1:00:00 AM - Columnist, Lewisnews.com

President Bush has given several nationally televised speeches on Iraq, held roundtables with dozens of influential reporters, and even addressed the U.N. General Assembly before a world audience.

So why do Americans still have so many questions about this war?

Perhaps because the most obvious questions are also the most easily overlooked.

Yet since invading and occupying Iraq could claim thousands of American lives and even spark a wider war in the Middle East, Bush has a solemn obligation to fully explain his reasons for war.

In that spirit, here is a list of 10 simple questions about his Iraq policy.

(1) Isn't it possible that invading Iraq will cause more terrorism than it prevents?

The al-Qaeda network has explicitly threatened to murder innocent Americans in retaliation for a U.S. raid on Iraq. So why hasn't Mr. Bush addressed this possibility?

Even General Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, says: "Attacking Iraq will detract from our primary mission against al-Qaeda, supercharge anti-American sentiment in the Arab street and boost al-Qaeda's recruiting." Is Gen. Clark wrong?

(2) If Saddam is really a threat to the Middle East, why do his neighbors seem to fear him less than the U.S. government does?

None of the countries bordering Iraq has been clamoring for the United States to protect them from Saddam. So how can Bush argue that Saddam poses a threat to a nation halfway around the globe?

(3) You point out that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction that "could" be turned over to terrorists. But couldn't the same be said of Pakistan, North Korea, and dozens of other nations? And do you intend to launch pre-emptive strikes against them as well?

Bombing Iraq because of what it "might" do would set a frightening precedent. Imagine the global chaos that would result if every nation followed Bush's example, and it's easy to understand how reckless a first-strike policy is.

(4) Won't attacking Iraq make Saddam more likely to launch a biological or chemical attack?

During the Gulf War, the Iraqi leader apparently decided that unleashing such devastating weapons was not in his self-interest. But this time Saddam knows he is targeted personally – which means he has nothing to lose. If Bush really wants to avoid such a catastrophe, he can prove it by keeping U.S. troops out of Iraq.

(5) Why do you maintain that Iraq poses a more immediate threat than North Korea?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il admits that he has nuclear weapons capable of hitting U.S. targets, and brags that he can 'win' a nuclear war with the United States. Please explain why Americans should fear Iraq more than this belligerent, and apparently unstable, communist dictator.

(6) Why do you believe a U.S.-led regime change will do any more good in Iraq than it did in Panama, Haiti, or Bosnia?

Like previous presidents, the Bush administration promises to topple a tyrant and liberate the nation. But if the history of U.S. intervention is any guide, Bush will merely replace one dictator with another.

(7) You say Saddam has refused to comply with U.N. weapons inspectors. Does that mean that you intend to subject Americans to U.N. mandates in the future?

No one should be surprised if this notoriously anti-American agency decrees that it's our turn to submit to a weapons inspection, or demands that U.S. troops be sent into a bloody, pointless battle overseas.

Yet how could Mr. Bush refuse such requests without being denounced as a hypocrite? And how could he comply without betraying U.S. sovereignty?

(8) Considering that many of the September 11 hijackers were Saudi nationals – not Iraqis – why haven't you publicly accused the Saudi government of sponsoring terrorism?

Bush has struggled mightily to produce a link between Iraq and the 9/11 terrorists, while refusing to address allegations of Saudi connections to terrorism. The grieving families of the 9/11 victims have a right to know why.

(9) Why have you stopped mentioning the name of the one individual who has been most closely linked to the 9/11 attacks: Osama bin Laden?

Bush's interest in the world's most-wanted terrorist seems to have vanished mysteriously into the caves of Tora Bora. So it's understandable for Americans to wonder if invading Iraq is Bush's way of punishing Saddam Hussein for the crimes of bin Laden.

(10) Finally, Mr. President, if your Iraq policy is so successful, why are Americans more afraid than ever?

As the attack against Iraq draws near, the Homeland Security Department has raised the terrorist threat level to orange; started to educate the nation about how to cope with dirty bombs and chemical attacks; and warned panicky Americans to stockpile food, water and medical supplies.

If this policy is a success, how would we measure failure?

About the author: Geoffrey Neale, Austin, Texas, is national chair of the Washington, DC-based Libertarian Party.