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World Says No to Iraq WarBush Threatens to Go It AlonePresident Bush has long argued that a U.S. invasion of Iraq is urgent, just and inevitable. But instead of gaining support for an attack, Bush is fighting an uphill battle against public opinion increasingly opposed to war.
A recent Pew Research poll found that three-quarters of the U.S. public oppose unilateral war against Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of people have joined antiwar actions in more than 400 U.S. cities in all 50 states. International polls show overwhelming opposition to war on Iraq, even if the U.N. were to back an attack. (See box.) In an unprecedented move, antiwar groups from around the world are coordinating "World Says No to War" marches on Feb. 15.
Many governments have warned the U.S. against war with Iraq. On Jan. 29, 11 of the 15 countries on the U.N. Security Council defied the U.S. and said inspectors should be allowed to keep working until there is undeniable evidence that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. France has threatened to veto any U.S. war proposal at the U.N. British public opinion has forced even Prime Minister Tony Blair, a staunch war hawk, to urge the U.S. to seek approval from the U.N. Pope John Paul II has denounced an Iraq war, calling war "a defeat for humanity." The Washington Post reported that Bush aides confessed that they "could see their political mortality for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001." Besieged by opposition, President Bush used his Jan. 28 State of the Union address to restate his case for invasion. But he stopped short of declaring war. Instead he said the U.S. would present new information to the U.N. starting Feb. 5. "Bush's postponement of a war on Iraq so far is a victory for the global antiwar movement," said Reverend Graylan Hagler, a leader in Black Voices for Peace in Washington D.C. "But the danger is still grave. The peace movement has captured the imagination of diverse populations at home and abroad. A huge turnout in New York City and throughout the world on Feb. 15 will be key to stopping a slaughter in Iraq." NO CASE FOR WARIn January a U.N. study warned that 500,000 Iraqis could be injured in the early stages of a new U.S. invasion. And, because U.S. air attacks would likely destroy Iraq's infrastructure, up to three million more could face dire malnutrition because of the attacks. Worse, the Los Angeles Times reported on Jan. 25 that it had uncovered Pentagon plans to unleash nuclear weapons upon Iraq. (See War Watch, p.2.) In his State of the Union speech, Bush repeated that war is justified because Iraq threatens both its neighbors and the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction. He argued that Iraq is linked to Sept. 11 terrorism. But former South African President Nelson Mandela, and many others, say that the real motivation for war is that "George Bush wants to get hold of the Iraqi oil"--the world's second largest reserve. Iraq's neighbors consider the U.S.-backed Israeli occupation of Palestine to be the chief threat to peace in the region, not Iraq. And no one has produced a shred of evidence linking Iraq to Al Qaeda or Sept. 11. After a year of promises, Bush has failed to produce proof that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. Chief weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei say they have found no such evidence after inspecting more than 400 Iraqi sites. WHO THREATENS WORLD PEACEBush claims that satellite photos reveal Iraq is rebuilding nuclear facilities. But inspectors found no evidence of prohibited activity at those sites. Bush accuses Iraq of trying to buy aluminum tubes used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons. But inspectors concluded the tubes could only be used in conventional rockets, not nuclear ones. Former chief U.N. arms inspector Richard Butler denounced Washington
for promoting "shocking double standards" by treating Iraq differently
than all other nuclear powers, including itself. Bush has publicly threatened to attack 60 countries that he claims promote terrorism, starting with Iraq. As of Jan. 29, 86 percent of more than 314,000 voters in an ongoing Time on-line poll said that the U.S.--not Iraq or North Korea--poses the "greatest threat to world peace in 2003." People around the world believe that Washington is preparing to spill much blood for control of Iraq's tremendous oil reserves. They fear that Bush dreams of empire. The vast majority opposes these plans as immoral, dangerous, illegal, unnecessary or impossible. They are making their voices heard. Hany Khalil coordinates Racial Justice 9/11, a national network of people of color against the war, and works with War Times in New York City. Bob Wing is managing editor of War Times. |
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