Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) stressed in his speech Monday in Gaston Hall that the war on terrorism “will not be over until Saddam Hussein is removed from power.”
Lieberman reminded audience members that Saddam already “has the means?chemical and biological weapons that he hasn’t hesitated to use … All that needs to present itself to him is the opportunity, and I for one am not willing to wait passively for that day to arrive.”
Lieberman makes a number of valid arguments. His presence in power is a threat to U.S. national security, and his access to weapons of mass destruction should make the Pentagon worry.
But Lieberman does make some big assumptions. That Saddam will use these weapons should not simply be interpreted as fact. Although Saddam clearly despises America, this doesn’t necessarily mean that he will attack any time soon. Any unprovoked attack against the United States would most likely bring about his overthrow?Saddam need not look farther than the Taliban to see this. Were Saddam to attack, it would probably result from an American-led military campaign against him.
A U.S.-led attack might give Saddam the opportunity to build a Middle East coalition against the country. What’s more, once Saddam realizes that America wants him out of power for good, what will stop him from throwing caution to the wind? That alone is a worrisome proposition.
Not only would the United States risk peace by invading Iraq, it would also risk losing the support of its allies. Lieberman did address this possibility in his speech, stating that “even if no other nation were to stand with us, we must be prepared to act alone.” This is easier said than done.
In these unstable times, throwing its weight around the Middle East any more than is absolutely necessary to maintain its security hardly seems like the prudent thing for the United States to do. True, peer pressure should not force the country down some path it doesn’t want to follow, but even the world’s superpower shouldn’t always act against its allies’ wishes.
What Lieberman recommends could provoke a second bloody war in the Middle East, something that should concern all Americans.
