Texas A&M student responds to Leupp

"Invented Excuses for War" by Gary Leupp in The Tufts Daily was utterly appalling.

Secretary of State Colin Powell proved without doubt that Iraq is in violation of UN Security Resolution 1441. There is no question that Saddam Hussein's regime possesses biological and chemical weapons. There is no question that Saddam Hussein is making every effort to hide current weapons, and weapon development plans from UN inspectors.

The evidence that links Iraqi intelligence to terrorist organizations, while circumstantial, is very convincing. Twenty years ago CIA analysts were of the opinion that communist USSR would not associate with groups that were considered unstable, such as terrorist organizations. Review of Stasi and KGB records proved that thought to be wrong. Hussein's history has proved that he will jump at any opportunity to have a method of delivery such as Al-Qaeda. And Al-Qaeda is sure to appreciate asylum, training, and means of acquiring weapons of mass destruction.

The theory that a religiously motivated al Qaeda and a secularly motivated Iraqi regime could not work together is completely erroneous. They have the same goals _ destabilization of the west _ easily fostering a symbiotic relationship.

If this is not proof enough for disarmament then please look at different human rights websites such as Human Rights Watch, hrw.org. They report that the Kurdish minority of Iraq had a population totaling 250,000 people in 1991 after the Gulf War. In the fall of 2002, that number had decreased to 40,000 people due to "disappearances, arrests, and executions" under Saddam's government.

If anyone thinks that our cause is unjust because of possible citizen casualties, I would argue that we would have to kill a massive amount of Iraqi citizens to outdo Saddam. I hope that these facts may sway some to consider their position. It has, however, been my experience that logical argument and evidence rarely persuades those with pacifist ideology. While I personally consider lack of support for national security efforts to be at best unpatriotic, I am also respectful of each person's right to have and express their own opinion. Please remember this though: your right to express those opinions exists and is protected because men and women have died to protect them. The rights of our grandchildren may depend on our sacrifice. Our security is worth the fighting for.



Adam Brown

Sophomore Political Science Major

Texas A&M University, College Station, TX