LTTE: No Rationale for War

[Martin Eden]

I just dashed this off so I don't know if it will be published, but I thought I'd share:

The Senate Intelligence Report is yet another confirmation that Iraq had not resumed production of prohibited weapons or formed an alliance with al Qaeda. So, what about the Bush administration's other rationale for war? Rather than spreading democracy in the Middle East we have witnessed the spread of terrorism, especially into Iraq. Liberation has inflicted a heavy toll on the Iraqi people, and their daily lives are in many aspects worse than before the invasion.

Let's assume Iraq will become a democracy and its people will be better off in the long run. By the time this mission is accomplished it will have cost us at least $200 billion and the lives of a thousand young Americans in uniform. Many supporters of President Bush are the same people who tend to eschew foreign aid. The tab for Iraq far exceeds the annual $3 billion we give to Israel, and it remains to be seen whether we are fostering friendship or enmity with such generosity.