How to justify war in Iraq?
A question I've heard aimed at the anti-war position is, "What do you do, then, if not go to war?" The goodness of peace alone is widely viewed to be overshadowed by its negative consequences. To complete an anti-war position, positive consequences must, then, come from something other than not going to war. On the other side, to justify a pro-war stance requires that the negative consequences of war alone be overwhelmed by some other positive events such as the spread of, say, lasting peace in Iraq. Since neither view, in and of itself, is satisfactory to me, it seems fair to now ask a question of those who have supported this war, and that is, "What, do you do now that you are at war?"
For those who view the war as necessary (and others who believe it can be justified): what, in your opinion, does the world need to do in Iraq to make this war right, and what are the challenges involved?
For those who view the war as necessary (and others who believe it can be justified): what, in your opinion, does the world need to do in Iraq to make this war right, and what are the challenges involved?
Comments
One, if there are direct links found between UN Inspectors & Saddam that show they were in collusion. Two, illegal military links with members of the Security Council like France, China & Russia that are more serious than those links that exist for Britain and the United States.
Something along these lines would show that following up through the U.N. would have been impossible.
On the other hand, finding a stash of Mustard Gas is irrelevant to me. Even a semi-legit Security Council could have sufficiently disarmed Iraq without war.
does the world need to do in Iraq to make this war right, and what are the challenges involved?
Here is what I would do in a semi-realist world without certain political complications:
Reinsert the weapons inspectors and let us resolve that. Finding WOMD will help legitimize the war and even the anti-war parties know fully that Saddam has lots of proscribed weapons.
Special international war crimes tribunal for Iraqi regime. I don't see how the ICC can apply as Iraq is not a ratified party and we know the US isn't going to pursue anything to legitimize that body. So they can have their own tribunal at The Hague.
Once the top brass has been relegated to their tribunal then Iraq should have something like what South Africa had, name slips my mind but it was like the Truth Commission or something like that. Amnesty for lower level offenders. Bringing the truth out is a moral imperative and by displaying the heinousness of the regime ideally they can be uniting against the legacy of Saddam perhaps they can be united going into the future.
Basic parliamentary Euro style democracy with elections on say 1/1/05.
UN Peacekeepers, out of the country by 7/1/05 at the latest. Must be multinational UN school within three months of the war being primarily concluded. Put a ****ing Swiss Wiccan in charge if need be but please, no US Christians after the immediate aftermath. At least put the one US officer who speaks Arabic in a central role. Diverse Iraqi advisory board to the UN.
The humanitarian short term has to be followed through by the US. You just know they are gonna **** this up.
Long term infrastructure plan partly through the UN but the US should have our own national work in this regard too.
US, specifically Bush should apologize for letting them rise up in 1991 and then selling out. Will never happen in a million years.
UN should apologize for hte stupidity that is economic sanctions. Agan, never happen.
Kurdistan, tough one. I think we should let them become an independent state. But it will fall the other way and they will stay independent.
Move on Palestine. Nuke both parties if necessary but for gods sake resolve the ****ing thing.
I'm sure I'm forgetting things but whatever.
Major uprising from large cities, finding serious world threats, nuclear, chem, bio weapons that were able to be operated.
Also, with uprising and end of war, the re-diversification of Iraq, democratic government and effective humanitarian releif (not too late).
2) Find tons of weapons with "to Al Quada" stickers on them.
3) Be out before May with a UN army from countries against the war.
4) Invite all relatives of killed civilians to Washington and arrange a meeting with Bush. Make Bush say "I´m sorry" to the relatives on A-J and make them look satisified at all costs (cars, houses, villages etc.)
5) Pay for all damage and give the oil to the Iraqis. Erase all debt put on Iraq after the first war.
6) Give Israel a deadline to withdraw from all pre 67 areas one year from now or the settlements will be get a visit from a few Cruise misssile. But before that get the PA to give guarantees about not attacking civilian Israelis if US give such an announcement
7) First **** Turkey and give the Kurds a homeland. Then give guarantees to both Turkey and the Kurds that their counterparts wont attack them. Include Kurdistan in NATO to show that we mean it.
Then just maybe we wont see a rise in anti-western sentiments
The humanitarian short term has to be followed through by the US. You just know they are gonna **** this up.
BBC stated in this article that "The United States Congress has stepped in to find nearly $300m in humanitarian and reconstruction funds for Afghanistan after the Bush administration failed to request any money in the latest budget." Has this amount been enhanced? Is it not comprehensive? I should hope so, given that Canada has pledged $250m for the next two years.