“Mr. Bush’s War”

By: Patrick Buchanan

A year has elapsed since President Bush ordered U.S. forces to invade Iraq. Since that March day, 2003, it has become clear as crystal: Operation Iraqi Freedom was an unnecessary war.

Saddam had had no role in 9-11 or the anthrax attack, no plans to attack us or to invade his neighbors. He was contained by US power and his own weakness. American planes had flown 40,000 sorties in 10 years over Iraq without losing a single aircraft to hostile fire. And Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction.

It was a war of choice, “Mr. Bush’s War,” as the War of 1812 was “Mr. Madison’s War,” the Mexican War was “Jimmy Polk’s War” and World War I was “Mr. Wilson’s War.” Neoconservatives who schemed for a decade to have us invade, occupy and vassalize Iraq say we liberated the country from tyranny, blew a hole in the phalanx of hostile Islamic states and are building a democracy that will be an inspiration to the Middle East.

Better still, we are positioned to use our power against Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia in the war against Islamo-fascism that is the great cause of our generation.

John Pilger quotes Richard Perle in the Mirror two years ago: “This is total war … if we just let our vision of the world go forth.”

Whether the war was necessary or not, neocons says, it was a just and wise war. Better that we fight now when we can readily prevail than wait for Saddam or his sons to acquire atomic weapons. Even if Saddam’s weapons programs had not matured, we could not take the chance, says President Bush. I did the right thing. I take full responsibility. Deal with it.

Whether one agrees with Bush and Cheney, they are unapologetic. They stand by the war. But what is the argument for John Kerry?

Had he been a principled antiwar candidate, we would have a great debate over how best to cope with the soaring anti-Americanism that is the spawning pool of terror. But we have no debate.

For there is no party in Washington that speaks for those of us who believe America should stay out of these religious and tribal wars from Morocco to Malaysia where no vital US interest is at risk. There is only one vital interest in this region — oil, and Iran and the Arabs must sell it to survive, no matter the regime in power…{{link http://www.indiemediamagazine.com/article.php?story=20040322222414525/ MORE}}

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