Well, today is the date for the last day of diplomacy for Iraq as stated by President Bush. It is all over the news that goverments from around the world are starting to pull out their diplomats from their embassies in Iraq. The United States has also told the United Nations to pull out the weapons inspectors.
The United States, Britain and Spain have withdrawn a resolution on Iraq, abandoning efforts to win United Nations backing for war. The president will address the nation tonight about the deadline for his ultimatum for Iraq to disarm and have Saddam Hussein leave the country. It looks like we are going to go practically alone on this one.
At this point in time, I am not sure how I stand on America going to war with Iraq. If I had to give it a number, I guess I would say 60-40 for not going to war.
I am not going to recap the arguments for or against the war. On a visceral level, I just don’t like any kind of argument for war. How can any war be just? Yeah, I know about the concept of self-defense and all that. Self-perservation is an instinct, and you cannot fault a nation for protecting itself. But war, any kind of war involves death and destruction. It is a complete breakdown of the rules of society. Even the army with the best intentions will commit some atrocities. If you suspend the commandmant, “Thou shall not kill” in order to wage war, then it is easier for an individual to start suspending some of the other commandmants. The end begins to justify any means necessary, and then the sin of war stains everybody.
But on the other hand, this situation with Iraq reminds me of the situation in Europe during the 1930’s. If Britain and France had the political backbone back then, would they have invaded Germany in a preemptive war against Hitler? (Hindsight is 20-20, and we already know about some of the atrocities Hussein has committed.)
Whatever does happen, I do support the men and women of the military deployed in the field, and the sacrifices they are and will go through. I pray that God will keep them safe. I pray that there will be a minimum of death and destruction on both sides, and that the conflict remains within the borders of Iraq. I also pray that Saddam Hussein will not take vengance on his own people, and that God will keep the innocent people of Iraq safe. We also need to keep in our prayers the men and women already deployed in places around the world like Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Korea. And most importantly, I pray that there will be a true and lasting peace in the world.
War is chaotic—anything can happen. Once war starts, it is not under anybody’s control, no matter how much we would like to think it is.
“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion that he may live.” Ezekiel 33:11