Pray It Never Happens

Oct 14, 2002

THE UNITED States Congress has now given authority to President Bush to “use the armed forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate” against Iraq.”

THE UNITED States Congress has now given authority to President Bush to “use the armed forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate” against Iraq.”
Bush can now attack Iraq whenever he wants, with or without the backing of the United Nations, as far as Congress is concerned.
Crazy as this seems, it is even more alarming that Secretary of State Colin Powell has announced that the USA is considering installing a military government in Iraq headed by an American general.
Powell said that there were precedents for installing military governments in conquered countries citing Japan and Germany.
But in World War Two the fascist governments in Germany and Japan were defeated after attempting to conquer the whole world. Iraq is not comparable to post 1945 Germany or Japan.
The historical analogy also backfires when we recall that the United States did not join the war until Japan attacked its naval base at Pearl Harbour in December 1941. Hitler was a far greater threat to the world than Saddam will ever be but two years passed before the USA entered World War Two. Why is it so necessary to intervene now if it was not then?
It is a disaster for the Americans to even consider installing a military government in Iraq. It smacks of recolonisation and there is no justification for it. And if it ever happens, the American military will find themselves running a foreign country whose language they do not speak, whose customs they do not understand, and whose political tensions they will not be able to resolve.
Pray God it never happens.
Ends

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