Dear Senator Daschle:
Thank you for responding to my open letter to the UN. Bush's obsession with war on Iraq is quite disturbing. If he goes to war without UN backing, our safety as Americans will be in great jeopardy. Not only are the lives of U.S. soldiers at stake, but the lives of all of us. I am concerned about the following:
1) The safety of US troops. Over 10,000 have died since the first Gulf War, many because of the links between the Depleted Uranium used and the abnormally high cancer rates in the vets. I don't think that Bush understands that American family members are at stake. Senator Johnson is the only one with a son in the forces, and I'm not sure if Bush and his cohorts would be cheerleading for war if they had family on the frontlines.
2) The safety of all Americans. Bush is going to make us hated even more. He has ignored the fact that 90% of the world opposes the US acting without UN approval. He has ignored the intense opposition in his own country.
3) The lives of innocent Iraqis. I've read in various sources, including UN documents, that an estimated over 500,000 Iraqi children have died from bombing and problems linked to sanctions.
4) The problems Bush is ignoring. The $200 billion that is estimated to be the ultimate cost of the war could be used in so many ways. Bush's obsession with war has blinded us to the fact that the economy is the worst in my lifetime, the stock market is a mess, and that 2.5 million Americans have lost their jobs since Bush came to office. I wish our government would address these REAL problems affecting REAL Americans NOW. I get the feeling that Bush is using war to distract us from these real problem and Bush's personal problems (including his sponsorship by Enron and gifts to the Taliban).
Finally, if Bush absolutely has to blow hundred of billions of our taxpayer dollars and an unknown number of American lives on war, shouldn't we pick a legitimate target? There are many countries that pose a larger threat to peace than Iraq. How about Israel? They have countless numbers of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear bombs! Israeli forces have killed more people within their national boundaries than Saddam has in Iraq. They've violated more UN resolutions and international laws than any country in the region! (Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, 799, and the Fourth Geneva Convention just for starters).
Senator Daschle, I beg you now to do anything you can to oppose this war with Iraq. The people of this world oppose it, and if we truly believe in democracy, we should listen to the people!
Sincerely,
Kennie Anderson
Dear Kennie:
Thank you for sharing with me your letter to the United Nations Security Council about President Bush's plans with regard to Iraq. It is good to hear from you, and I appreciate your input on this critical matter. Thank you also for your kind words of support.
Saddam Hussein has demonstrated that he is incapable of responsible leadership in Iraq. He is a menace to his own people and to the region. For these reasons, I voted in October to authorize the use of force against Iraq in the event that continued diplomacy alone will not address this threat.
Last fall, as we debated the Iraq resolution, President Bush made clear that he thought America's national security interests are best served by acting with our friends and allies. During the last several weeks, however, the President has suggested that he intends to change course, and may choose to act unilaterally in Iraq. Doing so, I fear, will increase the risk for America's troops and the burden for America's taxpayers.
Unless the threat posed by Iraq is so imminent that our national security demands that we act immediately, I continue to believe that the President should not rush into a conflict in Iraq that will demand America's attention - and troops - for years to come. To date, I have not seen evidence to suggest that Iraq's threat is imminent, and, therefore, I see no reason to rush to a judgment that will send thousands of our young men and women into harm's way.
I will continue to encourage President Bush to follow the course that will best serve our national security. I am confident that, with the American public behind us, we will eliminate the threat of Saddam's tyranny and, with the support of our friends, we will rebuild a democratic Iraq that will respect its international obligations.
Once again, I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this matter, and I hope that
we can stay in touch.
With best wishes, I am
Sincerely,
Tom Daschle
United States Senate
