But before we compare this time in history to the Iraq Resolution, --- let's review....
Congress cited many factors to justify the use of military force against Iraq in 2002/2003:
-Iraq's noncompliance with the conditions of the 1991 ceasefire agreement, including interference with U.N. weapons inspectors.
-Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, and programs to develop such weapons, posed a "threat to the national security of the United States and international peace and security in the Persian Gulf region."
-Iraq's "brutal repression of its civilian population."
-Iraq's "capability and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction against other nations and its own people".
-Iraq's hostility towards the United States as demonstrated by the 1993 assassination attempt on former President George H. W. Bush and firing on coalition aircraft enforcing the no-fly zones following the 1991 Gulf War.
-Members of al-Qaeda, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq. (That was the bullshit topper. Of course, they are there, ....nowww!!!!)
-Iraq's "continu[ing] to aid and harbor other international terrorist organizations," including anti-United States terrorist organizations. (WHO DOESN'T?)
-Iraq paid bounty to families of suicide bombers. (really?)
-The efforts by the Congress and the President to fight terrorists, and those who aided or harbored them. (how can you say no to that?)
-The authorization by the Constitution and the Congress for the President to fight anti-United States terrorism. (yeah that was a big one)
-The governments in Turkey, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia feared Saddam and wanted him removed from power.
-Citing the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998, the resolution reiterated that it should be the policy of the United States to remove the Saddam Hussein regime and promote a democratic replacement. (so this was in place since Clinton)
-The resolution "supported" and "encouraged" diplomatic efforts by President George W. Bush to "strictly enforce through the U.N. Security Council all relevant Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq" and "obtain prompt and decisive action by the Security Council to ensure that Iraq abandons its strategy of delay, evasion, and noncompliance and promptly and strictly complies with all relevant Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq." (farty bullshit cloud)
-The resolution authorized President Bush to use the Armed Forces of the United States "as he determines to be necessary and appropriate" in order to "defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions regarding Iraq."
Well, on that last one, it was more than obvious that defending the national security of the United States was nowhere on George W. Bush's list of things to do. Not short term, not long term. Not at all. Those lies were sold to us during a time of great fear when the people of the United States where desperate for a real leader and were to trust anybody who might relieve some of that curl-up-in-the-corner-of-your-house fear.
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| (Daily Digest, 1921) |
This time, we have the internets. This time, we have each other. This time we have twitter. This time we have wikileaks. This time we have MSNBC. This time we have Progressives with their ear to the ether. This time we are paying attention, and most certainly not curled up in any corner. So we need to take a deep breath and reach out to whoever we can in Syria. WE as a people should try to reach out and get to them ourselves. USE TWITTER. And try to figure out what the best course of action should be. WE THE PEOPLE should call, fax, email, and write snail mail and blow up the telephones in Congress on this one. Make out petitions on www.whitehouse.gov/petition and state your concerns. Don't just complain about Hilary having voted for the Iraq Resolution and shrug your shoulders and paint your signs.
DO SOMETHING. JUST DO SOMETHING PEACEFUL IF POSSIBLE. The war is already going on over there. Let's try not make it any worse. Attempt to see this from the Pentagon's point of view, from the point of view of military supply factories around the U.S. How do we replace these jobs without making more war?
The Policy Geek
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