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 To: George W. Bush, Congress, and the Media We, the undersigned, oppose George W. Bush's War With Iraq. Iraq is cooperating with UN weapons inspectors. But George W. Bush still insists on war for reasons that are purely political: 1. Bush's poll ratings are falling quickly because of public outrage over corporate corruption scandals and the falling stock market, and so he needs another war to change the news headlines and boost his poll ratings. In other words, Bush is "wagging the dog." 2. Bush is running for re-election in 2004, and he believes war will make him unbeatable. 3. Bush's oil industry donors want to gain complete control of Iraq's large oil reserves - by stealing them. Their views were summed up by Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) on April 12, 2002, when he told a large group of Republicans: "Why don't we just take [Iraq's] oil? Why buy it? Take it!" 4. Bush's weapons industry donors want to profit from another war. This includes Bush's father, George H. W. Bush, and his Florida recount chairman, James Baker, who are investors in the Carlyle Group, one of the largest weapons manufacturers in the US. 5. Bush wants to avenge his father's failed Presidency by killing Saddam Hussein. During the Gulf War, President George H. W. Bush refused to invade Baghdad and overthrow Saddam Hussein because of the opposition of US allies and because the US was not prepared to occupy and rule Iraq. 6. Bush wants to demonstrate to the world that US power is supreme and unchallengeable. Bush views America as the modern-day Rome, which will rule the world through force. Bush does not believe in freedom and democracy, either around the world - or in the US. The reasons for opposing a US invasion of Iraq are overwhelming: 1. 250,000 US troops could be deployed, risking tens of thousands of American deaths and widespread illness from toxic chemical releases. Tens of thousands of Gulf War veterans are still suffering from the unexplained Gulf War syndrome. 2. The Gulf War cost $61 billion ($80 billion in current dollars), of which $48 billion was paid by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Japan - but that still caused a US recession, even though the war ended in 3 days and we did not occupy Iraq. Since no other countries will pay for the US to conquer Iraq, US taxpayers will have to pay all of the costs, which could be $200 billion or more. That means all domestic programs will be even more deeply cut, the enormous Bush deficit will get much bigger, taxes will have to be raised to maintain reduced services, and the current recession will turn into a Depression. 3. US allies among Arab countries strongly oppose an invasion, and outrage among Arab citizens could result in the overthrow of several weak pro-US governments (especially Jordan, Saudia Arabia and Egypt), which would be replaced by Taliban-style anti-American and anti-Israeli extremists. 4. An invasion of Iraq could prompt reprisal attacks against oil fields in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, causing widespread environmental destruction and a large increase in oil prices. It could also lead to terrorist attacks against US, Britain, Israel, and other allies. Given these risks, British General Sir Michael Rose called a war with Iraq "madness." 5. The US imposed strict economic sanctions on Iraq after the Gulf War, which has resulted in the deaths of half a million innocent children. This is a massive violation of human rights, and it fosters the spread of anti-American hatred among Arabs. 6. Iraq has never attacked the U.S., and played no role in the September 11 attack. All propaganda efforts by right-wing officials like Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz to link Iraq to 9-11 have failed. 7. The US does not have the capability to occupy Iraq and run a democratic government. Even in Afghanistan, the US-imposed government has no control outside of Kabul, despite large numbers of US and other allied troops. This undemocratic government has been paralyzed by assassinations by rival warlords. Moreover, the heroin industry - which is so devastating to the US - has resumed production. 8. Scott Ritter, the former Marine who led extensive UN weapons inspections of Iraq, is nearly certain that Iraq does not possess chemical or biological weapons. Moreover, Iraq does not possess long-range missiles to deliver such weapons, and the US (or Israel) could easily destroy any such missiles through precision bombing - as Israel did when it destroyed a nuclear reactor under construction in Iraq. When challenged about these issues, the Bush administration and its supporters can only resort to the most absurd and outrageous justification for sending our children to their deaths. 1. James R. Schlesinger, a member of Bush's Defense Policy Board, says: "Given all we have said as a leading world power about the necessity of regime change in Iraq, means that our credibility would be badly damaged if that regime change did not take place." Let's be clear: only Bush demanded a "regime change" in Iraq, not the American people. We will not fight a war for Bush's credibility! 2. Larry Kudlow, a right-wing pundit, wrote: "The shock therapy of decisive war [on Iraq] will elevate the stock market by a couple-thousand points." In reality, war would create drive up oil prices, create economic chaos, and clobber the stock market. We will not fight a war for the stock market! Finally, George W. Bush has no authority under the Constitution or the United Nations charter to launch an aggressive war against Iraq, unless Iraq threatens us. If Bush insists on starting a war, then Bush should be impeached. We call upon all genuinely patriotic Americans to join us in declaring our opposition War With Iraq. |