War in Iraq Was Necessary

¶ … War in Iraq Was Necessary

The years 2002-2003 marked several changes for Iraq. During this time, the United Nations (UN) Security Council reevaluated Iraq's existing sanctions and replaced them with "smart sanctions," thus allowing more goods to reach civilians and preventing equipment entering the country from being put to military use. The Bush administration criticized the UN's enforcement of these sanctions and, in response, the UN strengthened its restrictions on Iraq. Weapons inspectors returned to Iraq, finding eleven undeclared empty chemical warheads and two illegal Al-Samoud missiles. As a result of these discoveries, the U.S., Britain, and Spain sought a military resolution; whereas France, Germany, and Russia sought tougher inspections as a final chance for peace. Finally, on March 19th, 2003, President Bush declared war on Iraq, citing Iraq's continued weapons of mass destruction (WMD) development, ties to terrorism, and a need for democracy to succeed the country's former dictatorship as major reasons (Brunner). While widely criticized for acting without sufficient proof, ample evidence suggests otherwise.

Iraq maintained an active interest in acquiring WMD even after its unsuccessful invasion of Kuwait. Iraq attempted to acquire high-strength aluminum tubes that could be used in a centrifuge enrichment program. The UN Oil-for-Food program, intended for the benefit of Iraqi citizens, rendered Iraq goods and equipment that were put to military use. Iraq tried to hide its wrongdoings. It withheld logs, technical documents, experimental data, accounting of materials, and foreign assistance regarding Iraq's nuclear weapons program from the UN Special Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Further, Baghdad concealed data regarding its enrichment techniques, foreign procurement, and weapons designs from inspectors.

The Iraqis maintained a chemical warfare capability and acknowledged several chemical filled munitions. Such weapons included 250-gauge chemical bombs, 500-gauge chemical bombs, DB-2 chemical bombs, R-400 chemical bombs, 155mm chemical shells, Al-Husayn chemical warheads, and 122mm rockets ("Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs" ). Since August of 1983, the CIA has documented at least ten cases of Iraqi chemical weapons deployment against Iran and Kurdish populations ("Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs"). One such attack took place in Halabja on March 16, 1988. In a U.S. Department of State article, Dr. Christine Gosden states, "5,000 civilians, many of them women, children, and the elderly, died within hours of the attack. 10,000 more were blinded, maimed, disfigured, or otherwise severely and irreversibly debilitated. Thousands died of horrific complications, debilitating diseases, and birth defects in the years after" (Gosden). The chemicals used in the Halabja attack were a mixture of mustard gas and nerve agents such as Sarin, Tabun, and VX.

In addition to chemicals, Iraq possessed the capability to put legitimate vaccines and biopesticide plants to use for biological warfare. In 1995, after four years of claiming to be conducting small-scale biological research for defensive use, Iraq admitted to UN inspectors that its production of biological agents was for the purpose of weaponization. The CIA documented thirteen open-air biological weapons tests by Iraq from March 1988 to January 1991. Iraq admitted that its al-Dawrah Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine Facility was a biological warfare agent production facility. In 1996, the UN Special Commission on Iraq attempted to render the facility useless; however, the plant regained its functions in 2001 with the excuse of a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. This justification makes little sense given that Iraq could easily attain FMD vaccines through the UN ("Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs").

Iraq has provided headquarters, operating bases, training camps, and other support to terrorist groups. During the Gulf War, Hussein sponsored several failed terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. According to the U.S. Department of State, "The Iraqi intelligence service attempted to assassinate former U.S. President George Bush during a visit to Kuwait" ("Significant Terrorist Incidents, 1961-2003: A Brief Chronology"). As Hussein's WMD program grew, the U.S. became more concerned that he might share new WMD technology with terrorist organizations ("Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs"). For example, Iraq had assisted in the creation of the Abu Nidal Organization, providing it training, logistical support, and funding. In the article "Abu Nidal Organization (Iraq, extremists)," the Council on Foreign Relations states, "The group wants the state of Israel to be eliminated, preferably through an international Arab revolution, and therefore supports "armed struggle" against Israel."