speak out: Axis of Evil just an excuse for war
Faris Irandoost, Special to the Peak

In the past year, Bush's administration has created a lot of chaos in the Middle East. Now I am not saying that September 11 was any fault of the Americans, but the revenge that he was seeking on the Afghanis and now on the Iraqis is certainly no fault of the people living in the Middle East. Over the past nine years, America has had a policy of dual containment of Iraq and Iran. However, if America attacks Iraq, does this mean that the security of Iran is in danger as well? It is important to note that both these countries are on the supposed axis of evil. In order to understand the relationships between the U.S. and these two countries, we will have to analyse some points first.

Iraq - Despite the fact that Saddam Hussein has yet to prove himself as an effective leader and a viable threat, suddenly he is accused of possessing chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction. An interesting point about those weapons: they were first exported to Iraq by America during the Iran/Iraq war. According to a Senate Committee Report of 1994, from 1985-1989 a veritable witch's brew of biological materials were exported to Iraq by private American suppliers pursuant to application and licensing by the U.S. department of commerce. The report pointed out "these biological materials were not attenuated or weakened and were capable of reproduction. It was later learned that these microorganisms exported by the United States were identical to those the UN found and removed from the Iraqi biological warfare program." My point is that if Saddam possesses weapons of mass destruction, than so does Israel, India, and Pakistan. If Saddam's regime is brutal and oppressive, then there are a lot of other brutal regimes in the Middle East, when rated by the same standard. So how is it that no one criticises those countries? Well, because they represent American interests at heart. So what could be said about the current plan of attacking Iraq? That America wants to bring a pro-American regime to Iraq and secure another base in the Middle East for U.S. activities.

Iran - In the past year, Iran has made substantial effort to reassure the U.S. of its friendly intentions. It immediately denounced the attacks on September 11, and in the war with Afghanistan, offered to assist U.S. pilots. In his July 12 statement, Bush announced, "As Iran's people move toward a future defined by greater freedom and greater tolerance, they will have no better friend than the United States." This is said at a time when Ayatollah Khamenei's regime is vulnerable and divided among the hard-liners and reformists. Considering countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, the Persian Gulf states, and Afghanistan, whom now all have pro-American governments, one has to wonder whether America wants to replace the Islamic Republic of Iran as well. Meanwhile, in Iran there is a talk of declaring a state of emergency to deal with the U.S. threats. Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader, advises the nation to stand together against the U.S.'s threats. A state of emergency has not been declared in Iran since the revolution of 1979, and no one knows what would happen if one was declared. Could it be that Iran is the next on Bush's list? After all, it was the second on the supposed axis of evil. What would happen if the U.S. attacks Iran after attacking Iraq? What would happen to the pro-Islamic regime and who could be put into power to represent U.S. interests? These are all questions that no one has an answer for and hopefully no answer would be needed.

All over the west, anti-war movements are taking place, starting with the march in London, and the statement of conscience in the U.S. We all know that starting a war could not benefit anyone in any sense. Wars have been known to increase hatred and revenge rather than to solve the real problems. We, as North Americans, have the right to stand up for our beliefs and to talk against anything that we don't approve of. Starting a war in the Middle East would disturb the peace in the area, get many countries involved, cause the death of millions of innocent civilians, and may take more that a decade of our lives. I urge you to continue with the anti-war movement that you started and do not give up until you have achieved your purpose. I will leave you with a simple and powerful quotation from the statement of conscience and wish you luck in your efforts!

"President Bush has declared YOU ARE EITHER WITH US OR AGAINST US. Here is our answer: we refuse to allow you to speak for all the American people. We will not give up our right to question. We will not hand over our conscience in return of a hollow promise of safety. We say NOT IN OUR NAME. We refuse to be party to these wars and we repudiate any inference that they are being waged in our name or for our welfare. We extend a hand to those around the world suffering from these policies; we will show our solidarity in word and deed."

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