This is in response to Professor David Sumner's letter to the Daily News of Friday, March 28th.
Professor Sumner suggests in his letter that the Ball State Center for Peace and Conflict Studies is not convinced Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction.
Everyone I know who is associated with the Center has little doubt Saddam Hussein possesses such weapons (or at least the capacity to produce and deliver them).
It is also recognized that Saddam's regime is guilty of horrendous atrocities, and that he should be removed from power. There is no disagreement here with war advocates.
The question then becomes, is war the most effective response to the problems with Iraq? The answer to this question is "No" for the following reasons:
1. This war will almost certainly create a serious humanitarian crisis. According to a Newsweek article in the Feb. 3 issue (page 40), over 100,000 Iraqi civilians, almost half of which are children, died of food shortages, disease, and other lingering effects of the 1991 Gulf War.
Iraq has well over two million people to feed, and it is now recognized that over 500,000 children in Iraq are already malnourished, in part due to past US sanctions. The inability of U.S. troops to secure the Southern cities in Iraq means humanitarian aid is disrupted and unable to reach the people in need. This in addition to civilians killed by errant bombs.
Ironically, more innocent civilians may die as a result of this war than Saddam Hussein and his regime ever persecuted!
2. The war could very well turn Saddam Hussein into a hero in the eyes of the Arab world, especially if we fall short of our military objective. Saddam is increasingly seen by his supporters as standing up to the most powerful country in the world and holding his own.
3. War carries a great risk of destabilizing the region. Anti-American sentiment among Muslims is higher than ever. There is an old saying "blood is thicker that water."
With our 250 mile supply line vulnerable to attack and being cut off, could other Arab countries support terrorists and suicide bombers, seizing the opportunity to enter the war with visions of humiliating the United States?
Could war protests in Islamic countries such as Pakistan and Egypt result in the overthrow of a government that supports the United States?
We must realize that war as a solution is simply too unpredictable, sloppy, costly and inefficient. Americans are now being told that the war may take several weeks, even months, not to mention the years it will take to rebuild Iraq and establish a stable government. Contrary to what politicians say, the past year of negotiating was not the same as the last 10 years.
The United Nations weapons inspectors had returned and were making progress, and the UN was willing to increase diplomatic pressure on Iraq and press for more specific disarmament demands.
War may tempt us with the promise of short-term solutions and quick results, but it gives rise to long-term hatred that inevitably will return to haunt us.
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