48 Hour Ultimatum

It is not war - It is a slaughter! A mammoth war machine, that has not been seen in the history of humankind is about to crush an ant. Even before the so called weapons of mass destruction are touched by a single Iraqi soldier, the destruction of Baghdad will be complete. The ultimatum issued by President Bush is to create panic in Iraqi ranks. Seeing its end so close, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein may be tempted to initiate attacks either on US soldiers, or on Kuwait or Israel creating conditions for the obliteration of his rule.

At this moment it is futile to preach about the immorality of war or the ethics of peace. President Bush is determined to remove Saddam and he will take his determination to the battlefield. During the crushing of this ant, when our patriotism will be tested every second, many of us will adopt the Bush doctrine and many will retire into silence. But certain brave Americans will definitely stand up for justice. They might be forced to pay a price for their outspokenness in this land of the free and the brave. They might be classified as enemies or anti-Americans but when the dust will be settled, perhaps their questions will become relevant and those who are raising the banners of war today might begin to say, Alas we could have listened to others.

1. The first question that we must ask: Is this war necessary? Why does Mr. Bush insist that this is the time to go to war? The United Nation's inspectors have been reporting progress and the dictator has been destroying certain missiles. There is no hard evidence to suggest that he is manufacturing weapons of mass destruction. If he is, then there must be some evidence for that. If he is hiding some weapons, then someone must at least account for the existence of those weapons. Assumptions are not the foundation for any attacks. So far hard facts have not been presented to convince at least half of the country that this war is necessary.

2. So far, the cost of war has not been projected by the Administration. But some are suggesting that the US will spend between $400 to $900 billion. This is a huge cost that someone will pay. This amount is sufficient to give every American health insurance. This amount could wipe out poverty from the face of earth and this amount could take our education to the highest level. But this amount will now be used to kill people and destroy nature. Perhaps the cost will be borne by the Iraqis. If the future leadership of Iraq refuses to comply without dictates, we may find ourselves again in a situation of war.

3. So far the real goals of war have not been stated clearly. At times, Mr. Bush wants us to believe that it is a war against weapons of mass destruction. Sometimes he wants to believe that the real purpose is to establish democracy in Iraq. Still at other times he wants us to believe that the exit of Saddam Hussein is the prime goal.

The real purpose of war is still unknown. Many experts have argued that the real purpose of this war is to protect our oil interests in the Middle East and the security for the state of Israel.

The state of Israel is itself in possession of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. It does not need any protection from Palestinians, Egyptians or Jordanians. One cannot imagine Saudi Arabia or Kuwait and Qatar using their US arms supply to attack Israel. Realistically, no one can challenge the might of Israel in the region. It is, therefore, futile to conduct a proxy war for an ally who will not benefit from this war in any way.

4. President Bush talked about UN resolutions and their non-compliance by Saddam Hussein. But Hussein is not the only ruler who has violated the UN resolutions. Israel and India are in flagrant violations of the UN resolutions. Why is it that India and Israel are not considered dangerous to their regions? After all, Israel is the only country that has used weapons of mass destruction to kill people and destroy their homes and India is the major violator of human rights abuses.

5. Mr. Bush has ignored the opinion of millions of Americans who are opposed to this warmongering. His policy clearly indicates that he is motivated by factors other than democratic. Is he acting on behalf of the powerful lobbies and special interest groups? American lives cannot be put at the altar of a few special interest groups. Perhaps those millions of people will speak in the next election loudly and clearly.

6. The economic recession is destroying the fabric of our country. The war will further recede our economy as being projected by many economists. Mr. Bush, however, believes that the war might boost our economy and create more jobs. This means that if our economy is dependent on wars, then we will need war on a perpetual basis to keep our economy going. This is a dangerous paradigm that will ultimately ruin the social foundations of our country.

7. Mr. Bush's ultimatum is being lauded by many special interest groups including many Christian evangelicals who believe that the showdown with Iraq is a prelude to the second coming of Jesus. They see the Bush doctrine in line with their Biblical interpretation of current events. This is a dangerous trend, as it will make many in the Bush administration feel as representatives of Jesus carrying out his mission and will. This might lead to a conflict on ground with Muslims in general creating hostile conditions for Muslim Americans.

The showdown with Iraq has created a challenging situation for Muslim Americans. They are already a target of attacks and hatred. The coming days are likely to see an increase in anti-Muslim acts as suggested by the FBI. At a time, when the country needs its full resources to combat terrorism, the division within the country will not help the administration win this war.

With the ultimatum, the judgment has now been pronounced. The life of innocent people is at stake. The uncontrollable egos of two leaders and their hawkish advisors have created dangerous conditions for the world. A victory in Iraq will not subside these dangers. Rather, it will increase the destability in the region leading to political conditions that will hurt all of us.

Dr. Aslam Abdullah, Editor in chief, the Minaret and the Muslim Observer