Campy's Editorial Page

Endgame.

Election '02 and Iraq

November 14th, 2002

By Matthew McGowan

    For this month's editorial, I wanted to do a follow-up about the possible war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, but first I felt compelled to say a few things about last week's elections.  I have read countless news stories over the past few months that spoke of a possible backlash this election cycle against President Bush and his Republican party by the American voters.  From newspapers to magazines, from TV to radio, the talking heads of the national media-at-large predicted large gains for the Democratic Party in both the House and the Senate, as well as gains in Governorship's across the country.  According to these people, voters were angry at Bush for both the prospect of war and the slumping economy and they were going to send the President a message.

    And we did send a message (a strong one at that), though not the one these people predicted.  Republicans won almost every race in which they had been favored, almost all of the toss-ups, and quite a few races in which they were expected to lose.  No president in the history of this country has ever led his party to control of the Senate in his first midterm...until now.  The reasons for this unprecedented election are obvious enough.  Americans are increasingly concerned about national security, and they trust President Bush and the Republicans on the issue. But security was not the only issue this election; the economy was also on voters' minds.  While the Democrats were busy blaming Republicans for the economy's current state, Republicans were busy proposing solutions.  This time, we all took notice.  Americans seem to have come to the realization that Democratic policies are what got the economy into this mess (click here for an explanation, if you need it) and it seemed that the Democrats were more concerned with "politicking" than they were with actually fixing any problems.

    Still, there are those who seem to believe that the Republicans didn't really win the election so much as the Democrats lost it.  They say that the Democratic Party didn't really have a message this election cycle and that they didn't oppose Republicans enough on the prospect of War, national security, and the economy.  But I think these people have it backwards.  We did hear the Democratic message loud and clear and we didn't like it.  When Democratic congressmen Jim McDermott and David Bonior traveled to Iraq and proclaimed to put more faith in the Iraqi dictator than in their own President, we watched for some sort of response from Democratic "leadership"; when we didn't see any (or worse when it was condoned by other Democrats), we didn't like it.  We watched as Democrats stalled the Homeland Defense legislation in an effort to appease the Unions who pull their strings, and we didn't like it.  And we watched Democrats time and time again attempt to scare people into voting for them instead of proposing actual solutions to our nations woes.  Once again, we didn't like it.  So we spoke out.  (And for those who think I am "politicking", click here to read an article by a prominent Democratic senator who says the same things I do!) ~ (This essay by a well-known former Democrat even delves a little deeper on the subject.)

    Of course, there are those who will say that this is nothing more than the ranting of a right-wing crackpot, but I don't mind.  Name calling is all these people seem to have left these days.....

    Now on to Iraq....

    Two of the main points of those who are against any kind of military action against Iraq are first; the idea that Iraq poses no direct threat to the United States, and second; that we have no proof that Iraq supports terrorism.  I do not agree, so I decided to do a little research on the subject.  I wanted to find something from a Middle Eastern perspective, but I cannot read Arabic.  Fortunately for me there is www.memri.org.  The site is run by the Middle East Media Research Institute, a small but dedicated outfit that daily pores through Middle Eastern newspapers, magazines, television broadcasts, and Friday sermons and translates them for the benefit of non-Arabic speakers, like myself.  MEMRI's website (which is updated daily), their pamphlets and other materials, are invaluable, and should be read by every American.

    This report is excerpted from MEMRI's Iraq News Wire No. 9.  For more on Iraq, visit: www.memri.org/iraq.html. 

Iraq Calls for the Formation of Suicide Squads to Strike American Targets and Interests

September 9, 2002

An editorial in the Iraqi weekly Al-Iqtisadi [The Economist], which is owned by Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday, called for the formation of suicide [fidaiyoon] squads to launch broad-based sabotage operations against the United States, its friends, and interests.  The following are excerpts from the article:

"...The United States practices international terrorism against the whole world. By doing so, it turns peoples and governments into hostages, thereby causing the suspension of international activities and generating fears and instability in the international domain. This conduct has similarities with Hitler and Nazism which led the world to a world war."

"...It is unlikely that the United Nations will establish an international tribunal to prosecute the U.S., but it is not difficult for any country to indict it [the U.S.] internationally and to mobilize other countries to do so despite the ridiculous international decision that protects American forces from their crimes against others…"

"…The confrontation with the aggressors should transcend the means of condemnation and rejection, particularly in the Arab and Muslim street. They should use all means-and they are numerous-against the aggressors, including boycott, closing air and sea ports to civilian ships and airplanes that belong to the U.S. and its allies, striking their economic interests and establishments, and considering everything American as a military target...and to create suicide/martyr [fidaiyoon] squads to attack American military and naval bases inside and outside the region, and mine the waterways to prevent the movement of war ships...

    It doesn't stop here. The site contains translations of news reports from all around the region describing Americans and Jews as "Apes and Pigs" and calling on all Muslims to fight and kill every American they see.  These people hate us and want nothing other than our complete destruction.  For this reason, MEMRI's work is invaluable.  It forces us to acknowledge the existence of all of that ugliness and hatred.  We can no longer afford to look the other way.  To learn more about radical Islam (this is a must read, straight from 'The Mother of All Battles' mosque in Baghdad...and no, I'm not making that name up!) and the Middle East in general, please visit www.memri.org.  And pass it along!

    It's no coincidence that just three days after the Republicans gained control of all three branches of government, the U.N. Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution that would send U.N. inspectors back into Saddam Hussein's Iraq.  The world realizes that for the first time since Ronald Reagan was President, America will not back down one bit when it's peace and security are threatened.  Furthermore, the people of the United States showed that they are just as deeply committed to our national security as the President is.  That's why despite their own petty interests, such as France's lucrative oil contracts with Iraq and the $8 billion dollars Iraq owes to Russia, the nations that make up the U.N. Security Council decided to do the right thing and get behind our efforts.  They know when it comes to keeping our country safe, it is better to stand with America than it is to stand against it.

    Unless Saddam Hussein wants to find out first hand why that is, he has no choice but to cooperate and abandon his pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.  Of course, we have seen him disrupt and block full weapons inspections countless times in the past, and judging by recent statements of his (also from the MEMRI web site) this time will be not be much different. 

    In fact, the only difference is now he will have to disrupt and block the United States Armed Forces as well.  I don't like his chances.

If you have an idea for a column, or would like to submit one for consideration, click here. 

Previous Editorials