The Rush To War (Updated 4/6/6)

If the Twentieth Century was a century of the clash of ideologies, as Capitalism fought with Communism for the hearts and minds of the world population, The Twenty-first Century marks a battle of civilizations. Or, more properly, a battle FOR civilization! Freedom and democracy stand fast against a virulent strain of Islamofascism, bent on turning back the clock to the seventh century.

It is important to remember that the jewel of civilization of that earlier era was the Roman Empire. Rome was not conquered by a superior civilization, but by barbarians dressed in skins, swinging as weapons, the thighbones of the animals they had killed.

Now imagine those same barbarians armed with chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons, provided by a rogue, state-sponsor of terrorism. Not a promising thought, but a real possibility in this war we wage today. And that was the very real possibility faced by our President as he contemplated war with Iraq.

The Barbarians ARE at the Gates!

For the last two years we have repeatedly heard how President Bush took the United States into Iraq with a “rush to war.” “Rush to War” has become such an uncorrected talking point, that its use today is unquestioned by the main stream media.

President Bush first laid the groundwork for an Iraq invasion with his State of the Union Address on January 29, 2002. US troops crossed the border into Iraq on March 20, 2003. If this was a “Rush to War” it was one of the slowest rushes on record.In that address to the nation, in naming Iraq along with North Korea and Iran as an Axis of Evil, the President said this:

Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support terror. The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax, and nerve gas, and nuclear weapons for over a decade. This is a regime that has already used poison gas to murder thousands of its own citizens -- leaving the bodies of mothers huddled over their dead children. This is a regime that agreed to international inspections -- then kicked out the inspectors. This is a regime that has something to hide from the civilized world.

When the critics of our President say “rush to war” what they are really suggesting is that the President took our nation to war against Iraq without proper cause. The implication they are making is that the President is a war monger, who made up his mind to invade Iraq before he was even elected. A little history might be in order here. United Nations Resolution 687 effectively declared a cease-fire between the US-led United Nations forces and Iraq, ending Gulf War I in 1991.

That resolution detailed the provisions that Saddam Hussein needed to honor to end hostilities. It is important to realize that this was not a United States resolution, but a United Nations resolution. This was not the United States and President George H W Bush trying to impose its will on a "sovereign nation" but the full force of the United Nations.

This is an important distinction only for the fact that critics of this President keep citing the "fact" that President George W Bush has taken us to war against Iraq "illegally" and "unilaterally." This argument dismisses the fact that a state of war had, in fact, existed between the United Nations and Iraq ever since 1991. Only by adhering to the terms of the cease-fire, as laid out by UN Resolution 687, was Saddam Hussein spared hostilities. The problem was, Saddam Hussein had never lived up to the terms of that cease-fire agreement!

Playing games of hide and seek, and bait and switch, Saddam kept the United Nations running in circles, while he circumspectly began rebuilding his armaments and laying his plans. His terrorist camps, such as the infamous Salman Pak served as training grounds for thousands of terrorist from many different countries, and from divergent terrorist groups!

The General, who had been the Security Officer in charge of the camp also reported that there were mixed nationality units including Saudi‘s, Egyptians and Chechens at Salman Pak. Usually about 40 strong, these terrorist units received up to five months of intensive training. However the terrorist units were actually under the control of Iraq‘s Al- Mukhabarat Intelligence Service and in particular a section called the Division of Special Operations. Much of this was also confirmed by Captain Khodada.

The foreign fighters were segregated from Iraqi military personnel and Saddam Husseins own Fedayeen, except during certain specific training sessions. The overall training program included assassination, kidnapping, sabotage or hijacking of aircraft, buses, trains, sabotage of public utilities and most importantly of all, in the use of Chemical, Biological and possibly crude nuclear devices.

While Saddam played the United Nations inspectors as fools, the UN security council passed resolution after resolution, demanding that he comply, knowing full well he would not, making the UN an accomplice in his charade.

United Nations Resolutions 1060 (6/12/96), 1115 (6/21/97), 1134 (10/23/97), 1137 (11/12/97), 1194 (9/9/98), 1205 (11/5/98), 1284 (12/17/99, all demanded, with growing stridency, that Saddam comply or face dire consequences. Saddam thumbed his nose at the UN while continuing his rearmamant.

And then came 9/11! And the world changed. President Bush declared war on terrorists. Following the successful Routing of the Talaban and the expulsion of al Qaida from Afghanistan, the President cast his eye upon the Axis of Evil. He settled upon Iraq and Saddam Hussein as the next logical front in the War on Terror.

Following his State of The Union speech, he began working with the United Nations, trying to got THAT body to back up its own Resolutions with action. With urging by the United States, the UN passed additional resolutions, again calling for Saddam to comply, finally culminating on 11/8/02 with Resolution 1441!

Throughout the summer the President made his case to the American people for his bold vision of a new Mideast. He laid out several compelling reasons for removing Saddam Hussein from power.

1. His possession of, and past use of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
2. His refusal to comply with UN Resolution 687, and his continued firing upon US and UN airplanes enforcing the No-fly zone.
3. His support for terror and terrorist as a state-sponsor of terrorism.
4. His brutal oppression of his own people, through murder, rape and torture.

A fifth, and even more compelling reason was the President's bold vision of a new face for the region, by spreading the seeds of democratic freedom to the peoples of the Mideast.

In his weekly radio address on 10/02/02 he said;

The danger to America from the Iraqi regime is grave and growing. The regime is guilty of beginning two wars. It has a horrible history of striking without warning. In defiance of pledges to the United Nations, Iraq has stockpiled biological and chemical weapons, and is rebuilding the facilities used to make more of those weapons.

Saddam Hussein has used these weapons of death against innocent Iraqi people, and we have every reason to believe he will use them again. Iraq has longstanding ties to terrorist groups, which are capable of and willing to deliver weapons of mass death. And Iraq is ruled by perhaps the world's most brutal dictator who has already committed genocide with chemical weapons, ordered the torture of children, and instituted the systematic rape of the wives and daughters of his political opponents.

In a s speech in Cincinnatti on 10/07/02, he said this about Saddam Hussein:

And that is the source of our urgent concern about Saddam Hussein's links to international terrorist groups. Over the years, Iraq has provided safe haven to terrorists such as Abu Nidal, whose terror organization carried out more than 90 terrorist attacks in 20 countries that killed or injured nearly 900 people, including 12 Americans. Iraq has also provided safe haven to Abu Abbas, who was responsible for seizing the Achille Lauro and killing an American passenger. And we know that Iraq is continuing to finance terror and gives assistance to groups that use terrorism to undermine Middle East peace.

We know that Iraq and the al Qaeda terrorist network share a common enemy -- the United States of America. We know that Iraq and al Qaeda have had high-level contacts that go back a decade. Some al Qaeda leaders who fled Afghanistan went to Iraq. These include one very senior al Qaeda leader who received medical treatment in Baghdad this year, and who has been associated with planning for chemical and biological attacks. We've learned that Iraq has trained al Qaeda members in bomb-making and poisons and deadly gases. And we know that after September the 11th, Saddam Hussein's regime gleefully celebrated the terrorist attacks on America.

Iraq could decide on any given day to provide a biological or chemical weapon to a terrorist group or individual terrorists. Alliance with terrorists could allow the Iraqi regime to attack America without leaving any fingerprints.

Congress insisted that the President needed to consult them before considering expanding the conflict into Iraq. After considerable debate on the floor of the Capital, the 107th Congress passed a bipartisan resolution granting the President the authority to take military action against Iraq. Still giving Saddam Hussein a chance to avoid conflict, the President, on 10/16/02, at the signing of that resolution laid out the terms by which that conflict could be forestalled.

Compliance will begin with an accurate and full and complete accounting for all chemical, biological and nuclear weapons materials, as well as missiles and other means of delivery anywhere in Iraq. Failure to make such an accounting would be further indication of the regime's bad faith and aggressive intent. Inspectors must have access to any site in Iraq, at any time, without pre-clearance, without delay, without exceptions. Inspectors must be permitted to operate under new, effective rules. And the Iraqi regime must accept those rules without qualification or negotiation.

To ensure that we learn the truth, the regime must allow witnesses to its illegal activities to be interviewed outside of the country. These witnesses must be free to bring their entire families with them, so they're beyond the reach of Saddam Hussein's terror, Saddam Hussein's torture, Saddam Hussein's murder.

In addition to declaring and destroying all of its weapons of mass destruction, Iraq, in accordance with U.N. Security Council demands, must end its support for terrorism. As the U.N. demands, Iraq must cease the persecution of its civilian population. As the U.N. demands, Iraq must stop all illicit trade outside the oil-for-food program. Iraq must also release or account for all Gulf War personnel, including an American pilot whose fate is still unknown.

The United States takes the resolutions of the Security Council seriously. We urge other nations to do the same. We're working to build the broadest possible coalition to enforce the demands of the world on the Iraqi regime. I've told all the members of the United Nations, America will play its historic role in defeating aggressive tyranny.

I hope the good people of Iraq will remember our history, and not pay attention to the hateful propaganda of their government. America has never sought to dominate, has never sought to conquer. We've always sought to liberate and to free. Our desire is to help Iraqi citizens find the blessings of liberty within their own culture and their own traditions. The Iraqi people cannot flourish under a dictator that oppresses them and threatens them. Gifted people of Iraq will flourish if and when oppression is lifted.

When Iraq has a government committed to the freedom and well-being of its people, America, along with many other nations, will share a responsibility to help Iraq reform and prosper. And we will meet our responsibilities. That's our pledge to the Iraqi people.

Finally, on March 20, 2003, with the failure of all diplomatic attempts; with the United Nations paralyzed with inaction; the Coalition of the Willing, composed of the United States and 40 other nations, crossed the border into Iraq, marking the end of one of the most brutal regimes in the history of the Mideast.

Those who would claim that there was a rush to war over look the 14 months of failed deplomacy, and the failed UN resolutions leading up to that war. Those who claim the United States acted unilaterally, dismiss the sacrifices being made even today by the 40 other nations who made up the Coalition of the Willing.

(update 4/6/6)
Now, because of their actions and provocations, it would appear that the President will have to cast his eye toward Iran. Again, the United Nations has not proven up to the task of dealing with this crisis. The same body that has castigated the United States for its actions in Iraq, is now calling upon this great nation to do something to forestall the Iranian nuclear proliferation.

It is not difficult to predict the reaction of critics in this country. In fact, a foreshadowing can be found in this article from the LATimes.

The accusations from U.S. officials about Iranian nuclear ambitions and ties to Al Qaeda echo charges that Bush administration figures made about Iraq in the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion three years ago.

Those charges about Iraq have been discredited. And in the case of Iran, some intelligence officials and analysts are unconvinced that Al Qaeda operatives are being allowed to plot terrorist acts.

Perhaps, in a rare effort at objectivity, after seeking to discredit any connection between al-Qaeda and Iran the Times article does grudgingly admit:

Ties between Iran and Al Qaeda were highlighted by the Sept. 11 commission, which disclosed a wealth of details about such connections in its final report. The commission said Iran and Al Qaeda had worked together sporadically throughout the 1990s, trading secrets, including some related to making explosives.

This excerpt from a NYSun article, a translation from recently released Iraqi documents would suggest that the September 11 commission might indeed be right.

One of these was a handwritten account of a February 19, 1995, meeting between an official representative of Iraq and Mr. bin Laden himself, where Mr. bin Laden broached the idea of "carrying out joint operations against foreign forces" in Saudi Arabia. The document, which has no official stamps or markers, reports that when Saddam was informed of the meeting on March 4, 1995 he agreed to broadcast sermons of a radical imam, Suleiman al Ouda, requested by Mr. bin Laden.

So, unless the MSM can find a way to discredit the Saddam Hussein documents being translated in Iraq, a link has been established between al Qaeda and both Iraq and Iran. This will not prevent, nor even slowdown the BushLied™ orchestra, but it should, at least, mute some of the criticism.

Dave Hinz
Team Member