This is an essay I wrote just before the beginning of the invasion of Iraq. I was right, partially, but it was what I didn't see that made me wrong.
Why the War in Iraq is Just
"We are privileged to live in the oldest, strongest democracy in the world. We realize the equality of all people, the right of people to free speech and free government, and will fight to protect these freedoms. We have fought many wars that have been, at least in part, aimed at protecting and extending American freedoms, the Revolution, the Civil War, World War One, World War Two, and the Cold War are the major examples. We have a duty as the oldest, strongest democracy to project and promote American and democratic values abroad. Thomas Jefferson stated in the Declaration of Independence that "All men are created equal." We must remember that all men, not just Americans, are equals.
"Today we see America shying from our duty to promote freedom abroad at the same time the world is focused on our coming conflict with Iraq. Iraq's dictator, Saddam Hussein, has used chemical weapons on Kurdish Iraqis in northern Iraq, has murdered Shiites in southern Iraq, and has diverted food, medicine, and other foreign aid donations from the Iraqi general population to his military and government. Our President is trying to justify the war because Iraq has so-called "weapons of mass destruction". Truly these weapons: biological, chemical, and nuclear are dangerous and cannot be allowed to remain in the hands of Saddam Hussein. Many, however, have been protesting the war, even before its start. Pacifists, Marxists, liberals, and anti-globalization forces have come together to reject the war. They have said that weapons inspectors in Iraq should have more time to find and destroy weapons. They see unwarranted US aggression aimed at procuring Iraqi oil resources as the cause of a potential war. Both sides miss the point. Both sides are ignoring the true issue. Today in Iraq a ruthless dictator who has demonstrated that he is eager to commit genocide against his own people. It is our duty as the strongest free nation in the world to liberate the Iraqi people. It is our duty. Far too many times in history, in Rwanda, in the Sudan, and during the Holocaust, we have looked away during evident genocides. We cannot, as a moral and conscientious people, allow the slaughter and repression of the Iraqi people to continue.
"Weapons of mass destruction are horrible, but in truth it does not matter what weapons are used to carry out genocide, the very fact of genocide, even of dictatorship, is reason enough for war. Peace is an honorable goal, but peace is worthless if dictators are allowed to continue ruling and threatening their own people. We have overwhelming superiority over Saddam Hussein's military. In a few weeks and with little bloodshed, we can remove Saddam Hussein from power and establish a democratic bastion in the Arab world.
"Besides the obvious benefits to the Iraqi people, a free Iraq would be greatly beneficial to the United States' war on terrorism. Iraq offers us a chance to extend democratic values to the Middle East as a model showing neighboring countries the advantages of democracy. Terrorism cannot be wholly stopped by military and police action. The causes of Islamist terrorism, the economic and political dissatisfaction of the Arab middle class transferred to anger at the West, will be removed by transforming Middle East governments into democracies.
"It is up to us to make the world a better place. Waiting for Saddam Hussein's death, internal reforms, or revolution in Iraq is a morally negligent policy. Democratic reform will not come to the Middle East unless the West is ready to free the people of the Arabian Peninsula. We must recognize that every life taken by Saddam Hussein should be seen as great of a crime as if he were taking American lives. All men are created equal. All lives are equally precious and sacred. We have the military power, we have economic incentive, and we have the duty to stand up to the tyrants of history and say enough. Enough intimidation, enough hatred, enough killing. We must guide the world, the whole world, into a new democratic age."
Why I Was Wrong
I stand by some of what I said. But what I didn't see, what I believe many Americans didn't see was the cost and timing and the negative effects.
The Cost
The cost of the Iraq War, in American, allied, and Iraqi lives has been overwhelming. A frequently citied example of this bloodshed is that since the invasion, more people have died in Iraq due to the presence of US troops than did because of Saddam. The lack of sufficient numbers of soldiers on the ground caused by the Bush Administration has caused major problems in maintaining internal security. In addition, the Iraq War has cost US taxpayers too much - at least $200 billion - at a time of record deficits.
The Timing
I still believe the Iraq War could have been pursued effectively and with moral authority, but with US forces deployed in Afganistan and with North Korea becoming a nuclear power, this was the wrong time for a major invasion of a large and restless country. Our forces are stretched too thin, and though spreading democracy and freeing enslaved peoples is a worthy goal, we cannot do it at the expense of conquering terrorism and rouge states. Iraq was effectively contained with no-fly zones, this was a war of choice on a largely ineffective and pacified regime.
Negative Effects
The Bush Administration likes to claim that this war was fought as an integral part of the War on Terrorism. What a load of crap! Saddam Hussein was, at best, indirectly involved with terrorism. Iraq, too, was a largely secular state. Now, however, Iraq is a hotbed of religious fanaticism and terrorist organization. It is the new Afganistan, a breeding ground for terror.
This was, to quote John Kerry: The wrong war at the wrong time. This war could have been the right war at a different time, but the way that it was fought and the timing of the invasion were costly blunders that have deeply weakened America's position in the world. Our military is stretched thin, our moral authority internationally is gone, and our security has been lessened. Instead of a free, democratic Iraq as the model for the rest of the Middle East, Iraq is moving towards an awkward and dangerous combination of Afganistani anarchy and Iranian religious fundamentalism.
I was wrong, and I apologize.