War With Iraq: An Approaching Reality

By Rebecca Wilsker

For most American students, Wars (of the kind that truly deserve the capital W) exist in history textbooks. Unlike many people around the world, our generation has not had to face the kind of armed conflict we’ve spent so many classes studying. Now, however, it looks like things may be changing. As the weeks have passed, War with Iraq seems more and more like a real possibility, and more and more like something in which we ourselves are going to have to get involved.

Earlier this week, according to the New York Times, “Hans Blix, the chief United Nations inspector for biological and chemical weapons, said that the war clock with Iraq stands at ‘five minutes to midnight.’” In the past weeks, troops have been sent overseas at dizzying rates, weapons inspectors have been reporting back nearly every day -- sometimes good news, sometimes bad -- and nothing, save news of the Columbia, has been able to shove the Iraq situation out of the headlines. We seem to be perched on the brink of war, and just as with many of the wards of the last century, the populace seems ambivalent.

Arguments exist both for and against the war, and they often seem equally valid. It is generally accepted that Iraq’s current regime does not have the highest regard for human rights. Stories have been reported of gruesome torture of many kinds, ranging from rape to starvation, to mutilation. A regime change, it is argued, would produce a positive change in basic Iraqi human rights. Also, there is the oft talked about issue of weapons of mass destruction. It remains unclear exactly how many weapons Iraq has in its stash, and furthermore where they are. This seems to be changing, especially after Secretary of State Colin Powell’s speech on Wednesday, during which he offered evidence including satellite photographs, eyewitness accounts, and intercepted telephone calls strongly indicating that Iraq is still harboring more weapons than it is showing the inspectors. This of course leads many people to believe that Hussein may actually use these weapons, causing them to see him as an immediate threat to American safety.

On the other side of the fence, there are many reasons people feel we should not go to war. The Bush administration keeps changing its reasoning for war, causing some to doubt its sincerity in any given logic. Further, the tensions between Bush and the UN are not comforting. Many fear action without UN sanction, both because it may be in violation of international law, and also because it has potential to harm the US relations with other important countries, hurting us in the long run. In addition, the US must be careful not to set a dangerous precedent. Attacking without UN sanction opens the door for other countries (India and Pakistan, for instance) to do the same. An issue of national sovereignty is also at stake. “When is it ok to intervene in another country’s business?” asked Mr. Keyes in an e-mail to the Young Republicans conference. Should America use its power to act as a parent for the rest of the world? Still, even if one does believe it is all right to intervene, many are not sure intervention is even necessary. Mr. Pollans (who teaches History of the Middle East, among other courses), says Saddam may have WMD, but he is spending so much energy shuttling them around, he is not a threat. Pre-emptive strikes should be used only to address immediate threats. Saddam is not an immediate threat.” Many in the anti-war camp still believe that we need to pay attention to Iraq (few are in support of the regime), but believe in working through our issues with Iraq by other means. As Mr. Pollans says, “War should always be the absolute last step.”

Discussion on the issue of war in general and with Iraq in particular has been rampant on all scales, from international conferences to casual talk around lunch tables in Forbes. Newspapers have shown as diverse opinions as have the Public Issues and Young Republican conferences. As our country stands on the possible brink of war, discussion and the sharing of different views is of paramount importance. Teachers and students alike have pointed out that, draft or not, this will hit closer to home than anything that’s been seen since the 1970s. Whether the US goes into Iraq or not, whether this buildup ends with diplomacy or war, our country has come to an interesting point in time. We seem to be on the brink of war. Look around you’ we’re writing the history books.