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Politics : DON'T START THE WAR -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Patricia Trinchero who wrote (10902)	2/20/2003 12:33:32 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 25898

Terrific, thoughtful post, Patricia. Thank you for that and for sharing the perspectives of those who know the ME.

To: Patricia Trinchero who wrote (10902)	2/20/2003 9:08:54 PM
From: GROUND ZERO™	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25898

Containment has not worked... sure, war is a last ditch effort, but it's entirely up to Sadam, yet he has violated every agreement on which the last conflict cease fire was based... here's Sadam's record over the past 20 years... he makes Charles Manson look like a choir boy... • Saddam took power in Iraq at the head of the Revolutionary Command Council and Baath Party in 1979-80. Since then he and his group have ruled Iraq in a totalitarian system, using murder and torture to compel loyalty. • During that time, Saddam has harbored various terrorist groups, which carried out small but bloody operations. Some of these were against other Arabs and Palestinians. Most were not traceable to Iraq, except that the terrorists were based there. As recently as October, Abu Nidal, a notorious terrorist living in Baghdad, allegedly committed suicide by firing six bullets into his own head. Could it be that his presence was too vivid a link for Saddam's connections with terrorists? • In 1980, Saddam ordered his army to invade Iran. This began an eight-year war that probably killed 1 million people, counting both sides. Saddam used poison gas against Iranian troops and against Iraqi citizens (including women and children) in Kurdish areas of Northern Iraq. • In August 1990, Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait. The Iraqi troops in Kuwait looted the country and tortured opponents, including cutting out of tongues, mutilation of genitalia, and severing of tendons so as to cripple for life. I have seen the wounds with my own eyes. Saddam took hostage foreign men, women and children to use as human shields. • When sanctions failed, the United Nations Security Council and the US Congress authorized the use of force to liberate Kuwait. A coalition of 26 nations did so. Prior to fleeing Kuwait, Saddam's troops set fire to the national museum, cultural centers, libraries and more than 600 oil wells to create an ecological disaster. • Since 1991, Iraq under Saddam has systematically evaded and deceived UN inspectors attempting to verify compliance with UN resolutions compelling Iraq to eliminate its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs, as well as its long-range missiles. • For five years Saddam refused the UN oil-for-food program, yet complained that sanctions were starving Iraq's children. When the program went into effect, generating billions of dollars, money was diverted to build palaces and covert weapons programs, and to smuggle luxury goods. • Now, in UN Security Council Resolution 1441, the United Nations has instructed Iraq to comply with its resolutions, divest itself of weapons of mass destruction and cooperate. The UN inspectors have reported twice to the Security Council that Iraq does not fully cooperate. Chief Inspector Hans Blix reported Friday that Iraq has yet to account for anthrax, VX nerve gas and long-range missiles. Secretary of State Colin Powell briefed the United Nations on Feb. 5 about recent evidence of weapons work and terrorist-related activity. The evidence in this indictment is overwhelming. The international community is justified in removing this mass murderer, this torturer -- and in removing his regime and its weapons of mass destruction. There is still time for diplomacy to work and a second UN resolution may yet gain support. The best possible outcome would be to have Saddam and his gang leave without a shot being fired. But only the willingness to use force has a chance to make that outcome a reality. And force may be the only solution. His time is up... or just hand over the keys to your home to the terrorists and roll over and play dead... GZ