January 4, 2005
Washington, D.C. (AP)
Tuesday in the Oval Office President Bush declared war on the Indian Ocean and all "associated bodies of water."
The decision came after vocal critics pointed out the disparity between the U.S. reactions to the September 11 tragedy and Indian Ocean tsunami. Roughly 3,000 died in the September 11 attacks. Over 100,000 died as a result of the tsunami.
Neoconservatives within the administration have been calling for war almost daily since the tsunami struck. "To be frank," Richard Perle argued Sunday on Meet the Press, "our reaction should be 30 times as severe."
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Pacifist arguments against war have been tellingly weak. Some argue that the Indian Ocean is not a nation, so cannot legally be targeted by military action.
Others suggest that because the victims of the tragedy included very few American citizens, an American military response is neither required nor proportionate.
President Bush brushed these concerns aside as he signed the executive order calling up all remaining U.S. reserves. "We have allies on the coast of the Indian Ocean," he said. "And our allies have been attacked. It is up to us to defend them. We must stand firm in our resolve."
President Bush said the military expedition would be funded with tax cuts for the American middle class. "By putting money in the pockets of the American people, we increase the wealth of this nation. We are rich in love. We can pay any price. We must pay any price to defend our allies."
The Foreign Minister of Bangladesh said the nation had no need for military assistance. The official message? "We are looking for humanitarian aid, not military intervention."
The U.S. military response will replace the promised $300 million in aid. The Defense Department "sees no profit in pumping money into a situation if the money does not contribute to a final solution," a spokesman said.
The defensive operation is expected to last for three to six months, and cost $10-20 billion. U.S. troops will be rotated out of Iraq as soon as the elections there have been completed. "With the elections over," a state department spokesman said, "our mission is truly accomplished. There is peace and democracy in the Niddle--the Middle East."
Environmentalists expressed their bafflement at the coming war. "What are you going to kill," one angry demonstrator shouted from the mall, "f---ing turtles?"
Braced with this criticism, Bush replied levelly. "If turtles attacked us, they must be brought to justice. And by attacking our allies, they attacked us. I want them dead or alive."
By noon Tuesday, preparations for the operation were well under way.
