OpinionsEditorials

Bush should reconsider war

Whoever said that men start wars was almost right. The main thing nowadays that starts wars is oil — black gold. Men just help it along.

On Sept. 12, President Bush addressed the United Nations to try to gain support for action to oust Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, and for the United Nations to follow through on its resolutions placed upon Iraq after the Persian Gulf War in 1990.

For weeks now, President Bush has made world headlines by threatening to take action against Iraq, only now he is saying that the United States will do it alone if it has to. Currently, the United States stands divided on this issue, with many Americans not supporting military action.

After the terrorist attacks on the U.S. last year, we were put under the impression that Osama bin Laden was the enemy. When did Saddam Hussein come into the picture? Is it only because the middle-east oil trade between the United States and Iraq, namely Kuwait, is at stake?

The Gulf War started when Saddam Hussein claimed that Kuwait was waging an economic war against Iraq. In turn, putting the oil supply in danger of running low. George Bush, Sr., helped organize a multinational force of over 700,000, including 500,000 American troops in an effort to remove Iraq from its Kuwaiti occupation.

Does this sound familiar? As of Sept. 12, with three of the four other member nations of the U.N. Security Council are not backing the United States in its plan for action, it leaves the United States bearing the brunt of military action alone. Relations with Russia, another major power, can be hurt if the United States takes action without U.N. support.

War with Iraq does not just mean guns, it means weapons of mass destruction-nuclear bombs-may be used. Something like this can bring on World War III. Has President Bush really thought about this possibility?

President Bush has already enlisted United States citizens for military, much to the dismay of many. But Americans currently stand without any answers to the vital questions we need answered: How many troops will be needed? How can we afford to mobilize thousands of troops? Can this country stand to lose more lives against the Middle East?

Before President Bush can begin to say that the United States will battle Hussein alone if needed, Americans require these answers. The truth is that a successful war cannot be fought unless there is support for the cause.

On Monday, Hussein agreed for an unconditional weapons inspection, but that does not mean the problem is over. How can we be sure that what the U.N. inspects is all the weapons that Hussein has in his possession? Unfortunately, we cannot be absolutely sure but we can hope for the best.

Although there has been a step in the right direction with the weapons inspection, we cannot forget about the serious threat that still stands between the United States and Iraq.

This is a whole new era where the terror can come to us, and it can be much deadlier than we think. President Bush needs to look at solving the problem from different angles, not his father’s.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

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