TruthNews Commentary, Jan. 17, 2003

The UN inspection team continues to flounder while Iraq tries to shoot down American aircraft. Meanwhile, the world continues to hold its breath, wondering whether there is sufficient justification for going to war.

Are we missing something here? Isn't shooting at American aircraft an act of war? The butcher of Baghdad has thumbed his nose at the Gulf War cease-fire agreement for 11 years. He has complied with UN resolutions only under threat of force. The Iraqi people starve while Hussein uses his "oil for food" revenues to resume his nuclear weapons program. Is there any justification for not going to war?

The UN inspection program was always a long shot at best. Iraq is a big country, and laboratories are easily hidden. That's why, in the U.S., the cops have a tough time finding ecstasy production labs. So how can we expect Hans "Inspector Clouseau" Blix, chosen to lead the inspection team because he was acceptable to Hussein, to find Iraq's hidden weapons facilities? Blix refuses even to offer sanctuary to Iaqi scientists who cooperate with the inspectors, saying, "I'm not running an abduction agency." So how many of these weapons scientists will tell anything, knowing that their deranged dictator won't hesitate to murder them and their families.

Those who object to possible war with Iraq seem to do so based on two conflicting theses:

• Hussein has no weapons of mass destruction

• If we attack Iraq, Hussein will use these non-existent weapons of mass destruction to inflict grievous damage on the U.S. and our allies.

We disagree with both of these contentions. In answer to the first, there has been ample anecdotal evidence presented in the past 10 years that Hussein is still pursuing his mad dream of being able to murder by the millions. But if we attack now, it is unlikely that we'll have to face these weapons. The Gulf War destroyed most of Hussein's weapons and missiles. He may think that he has nothing to lose in Desert Storm II by trying to take as many people as he can with him. But his cronies may think otherwise. Hussein can say, "Launch the missiles at Israel," but the hapless wretch sitting in the Scud launcher will not want to face the hangman's noose just to help Hussein fulfill his suicidal impulse to go out in an orgy of destruction. And President Bush should make it clear at the beginning of the war that any Iraqi who participates in an attack involving Israel or a weapon of mass destruction will be put on trial for war crimes. The war crimes trials following World War II established the principle that "I was just obeying orders" does not excuse guilt for war crimes.

There's another point to be considered, however. Even if Hussein has destroyed all of his weapons of mass destruction, he is still a menace in the future. The instant the sanctions are lifted, he will be running pell-mell to get new weapons. Obtaining these weapons may not be that difficult, this time. Before Desert Storm, the then-Soviet Union maintained tight control over its nuclear weapons. Now that Russia is ruled by gangsters and thieves, nuclear material may not be difficult to come by. With help from the French and Germans, Hussein could have nuclear-tipped missiles in a few years. Then Bush Senior's characterization of Hussein as "worse than Hitler" will be close to realization.

Now is the time to take out this madman. If we wait, then the nay-sayers will have a legitimate objection: "We can't mess with Saddam because he'll nuke us."