An Unjust War
by Charley Reese
by Charley Reese
It would pay us all to remember that the war in Iraq was both unjust and illegal. We launched a war of aggression against a country that was not attacking us, did not have the means to attack us, and had never expressed any intention of attacking us.
Thus, America's attack against Iraq is the same as Japan's attack against the U.S. in 1941 and Germany's attack against Poland in 1939. We were the aggressor, pure and simple, and for whatever real reason we attacked Iraq, it was not to save America from any danger, imminent or otherwise.
You can believe the two whitewash jobs blaming everything on intelligence if you wish to do so. I don't believe them. Our intelligence agencies make plenty of mistakes, but I don't believe that the information they provided the Bush administration was as clear-cut as the Bush people claimed. In other words, I think the Bush administration lied to the American people about weapons of mass destruction.
This illegal, unjust and unprovoked war against a sovereign country is what has alienated the rest of the world. This alienation runs deep and will have very long-term implications. The whole push of the best people in the bloody 20th century was an attempt to find ways to avert wars of aggression. The U.S. was one of the leaders in that drive. All of that was chucked on the ash heap of history by George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq and overthrow its government.
No sane leader of any nation in the world can trust America anymore. We have demonstrated that if we desire to attack a nation, we will fabricate the excuse and attack it, despite international law and international opinion. We have demonstrated that a nation need not provoke us or threaten us to become a victim of our aggression. We have said to the world that the only law we respect is the law of the jungle, and that might makes right. That's why so many people consider us to be a rogue nation and a threat to world peace.
The sad part is that the American people have been so sheeplike. They believed the blarney about weapons of mass destruction, even the stupid parts such as Bush claiming Iraq's tiny little drone airplanes could attack the U.S. When those lies were exposed, they believed that the war was justified by Saddam Hussein's cruelty. We've slept with many bloody dictators, including Saddam. Now they believe that we went there to spread democracy.
That's a bunch of hooey. The present interim government is corrupt to the core. The British Broadcasting Corp. did a lot of interviews with Iraqis, and not one of them mentioned wanting democracy or freedom. They all said they want a strong government that can provide security and end corruption.
Given the world's distrust and alienation, how do you think the Bush administration is going to garner support to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons? Do you think Russia, China, India and other countries love us? Do you think even the Europeans will not try to weaken our global monopoly on the use of force?
There is a great irony here. Imperialism produces exactly the effects that the critics of isolation claim it produces. Imperialism isolates America. An American policy of noninterference and cooperation would produce allies.
I don't intend to blame the Bush administration entirely. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are committed to an imperialistic policy. Nor was the war against Iraq the first instance of unprovoked and illegal acts of aggression. We invaded Grenada and Panama, and launched aerial attacks against Libya and Serbia.
Don't take too much comfort in the fact that we are, at the moment, the 800-pound gorilla. Everybody hates the gorilla and will try to do everything to weaken it. Given the venality and incompetence of our government, the shaky state of our economy, the apathy of our people and the decadence of our culture, I don't think we'll be king of the jungle for very much longer.
April 18, 2005
Charley Reese [send him mail] has been a journalist for 49 years, reporting on everything from sports to politics. From 1969 to 1971, he worked as a campaign staffer for gubernatorial, senatorial and congressional races in several states. He was an editor, assistant to the publisher, and columnist for the Orlando Sentinel from 1971 to 2001. He now writes a syndicated column which is carried on LewRockwell.com. Reese served two years active duty in the U.S. Army as a tank gunner. Write to Charley Reese at P.O. Box 2446, Orlando, FL 32802.
� 2005 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
sahannan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
![]()
Cairo Conference Reinforces Universality of Islam
�There is nothing called clash of civilizations since all civilizations deliver the message of peace, justice and welfare,� said Tantawi.
By Sobhi Mujahid, IOL Correspondent
CAIRO, April 17, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) � An international Islamic conference opened in Cairo Sunday, April 17, with a focus on the universality of Islam as a bridge to the gulf with the other.
Egyptian Awqaf (religious endowment) Minister Mahmoud Zaqzouq said the conference will address four main issues: Islam�s recognition of the other and the concept of cultural pluralism, Islam�s relation with other civilizations, the universal nature of the Islamic values and women in Islam.
�The conference is aimed at standing firmly in the face of anti-Muslim campaigns worldwide and presenting a clear vision on the true essence and values of Islam,� he added.
Attending the four-day event, entitled �The Nobility of the Islamic Civilization,� are delegations from 64 countries including 19 Arab, 12 African, 13 Asian and 14 European countries.
Representatives from five more North and South American countries as well as Australia will also show up.
Seven international Muslim organizations, including the Islamic Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), will also take part.
The four-day annual conference is organized by Egypt�s Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA).
Powerful Muslims
�The West had greatly benefited from scientific Muslim documents, which had been translated into Latin,� said Shenouda.
Addressing the opening session, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Mohammad Sayed Tantawi said Muslims should benefit from other civilizations and cultures.
�There is nothing called clash of civilizations since all civilizations deliver the message of peace, justice and welfare,� he said.
The scholar maintained that Muslims would only regain world respect and reverence if they emerged powerful and self-sufficient.
�The weak have no room in today�s world even if they speak the truth,� Tantawi said.
Speaking on behalf of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Zaqzouq blamed ignorance of Islam for equating it with terrorism.
He, however, said all countries should coordinate their efforts in uprooting terrorism and shifting billions of dollars from wars to development.
Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria said the West owes a big thank-you to the Muslims for the current scientific progress.
�The West had greatly benefited from scientific Muslim documents, which had been translated into Latin,� he told the audience.
Reform
The reform process also took central stage.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said the Arab world is in a dire need to translate its speeches on reforms into action plans.
He said the pan-Arab body was ready to activate the dialogue between Islam and the West.
Sudanese Awqafs Minister Esam Al-Bashir welcomed �proposals� put forward by the West on reform.
�But it [the West] is not entitled to impose its reform recipe on others,� he stressed.
�Arabs and Muslim could scrutinize these proposals and choose what fits them.�
Bashir said it was high time that the Muslim world acted in unison and followed in the footsteps of the European Union.
![]()
Please feel free to contact
News editor at:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
***************************************************************************
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest".
Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
***************************************************************************
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise.
If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest".
Yahoo! Groups Links
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
