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There was no 'clear and present danger'

August 28, 2008 1:18 am

RON Bornstein's recent commentary ["Sorry, Sen. Webb: Our Iraq policy was right," Aug. 18] in The Free Lance-Star starts by taking exception to my characterizing Paul Akers' interview with Jim Webb as outstanding and ends by trying to justify the Iraq war. Bornstein first tried to justify an unjustifiable war, and then misrepresented the conclusions of an obscure report to do so. By the way, the source Bornstein referenced was the ISD (Iraqi Study Group) Report, not IRD Report.

Now then, why is it that people like Bornstein try to justify a war that this nation and the rest of world knows was unjustified? In his commentary, he chose to focus on the administration's initial justification, which was that Saddam had WMD and was prepared to use them.

That justification was repudiated shortly after the invasion. Charles Duelfer's ISD Report, which he incorrectly interpreted, concluded that all of Iraq's stockpiles of WMD had been destroyed in 1991, and WMD programs and facilities dismantled by 1996. The justification for war is "a clear and present danger," not an imagined potential threat.

Now at what cost was that, the rigging of the Iraq war? First and foremost, it was the loss of more than 4,300 American military lives and the severe wounding of 30,000 more. In the conduct of this ill-begotten war, the greatest military machine in history has been seriously damaged. Now let's add in the $10 billion monthly price tag that has driven this country into a recession and is denying our citizens adequate incomes, health care, and education.

Beyond those costs to our nation, this unjustified war has destabilized the Middle East, created a breeding ground for terrorists, cost tens of thousands of Iraqis their lives, and displaced millions more. As a result, both the Iraqi people and the Iraqi government want us out. So why are we so intent on staying? The answer comes from examining who is benefiting from this war.

The obvious beneficiaries are defense contractors and the oil companies, both of which are making obscene profits. Less obvious are Saudi Arabia and Israel. Those two countries have had a long-standing fear of Iraq and were content to see the United States occupy Iraq, while expending both treasure and lives, to lessen that perceived danger.

I'm angry that with all the facts available, there are those who would persist in trying to justify this unnecessary, costly, and disastrous war. So for those of you who can handle the truth, I would recommend that you read Scott Ritter's book, "Frontier Justice: Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Bushwhacking of America."

Thomas Lee lives in Stafford County and is the author of the historical novel "Final Curtain: Saigon."