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October 11, 2002/Cheshvan 5 5763, Vol. 55, No. 7
Regime change in Iraq necessary to end threat
J.D. HAYWORTH
Special to Jewish News
Jewish News asked congressional and gubernatorial candidates to express their views on issues affecting the Jewish community in Political Voices.
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Historical experience, mounting evidence, and common sense make an overwhelming case that disarmament and regime change in Iraq offer the only solution to Saddam Hussein's thuggish dictatorship that threatens us and our allies.
Hussein has murdered his own people with chemical weapons, initiated a war with Iran that killed millions, invaded Kuwait and lobbed missiles at Israel. He has ignored U.N. resolutions and kicked out weapons inspectors. He is, in short, a menace whose megalomania is only restrained by his lack of a nuclear arsenal ... for now.
But Hussein will go to almost any length to obtain nuclear weapons. He has already impoverished his country, sacrificed his conventional military and lost $180 billion in oil sales by fighting international sanction - all in his quest to obtain the bomb.
There should be no doubt that if Hussein possessed nuclear weapons he would be likely to use them or share them with terrorists to use against the United States or, more likely, Israel. Iraqi dissident Ahmad Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress, has said, "Israel is the whole game. Saddam is always saying publicly, 'Who is going to fire the 40th missile?' " That's an ominous reference to the 39 Scuds Hussein fired at Israel during the Persian Gulf War.
If an international consensus cannot be reached promptly, we must make it absolutely clear to ally and enemy alike that we will do whatever is necessary to defend U.S. national security interests in the face of this clear and gathering danger.
Because of President George Bush's strong leadership, we have seen a shift in international opinion. The French and the Russians appear to be moving ever so slowly to the conclusion that their interests, oil and money respectively, would be better served by joining the U.S.-led effort.
Still, there are some who argue that we should not act against Hussein without the OK from the U.N. Security Council.
Regime change in Iraq will do more than just end a threat to the United States and our allies. It also has the potential to transform the geopolitical balance and the volatile nature of politics in the Middle East by establishing an oasis of democracy in a desert of despotism.
There are those who hope against reason that we should wait before confronting Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction. But we cannot afford to wait for another Pearl Harbor or another Sept. 11 before acting. We are in a race against time. If we wait until Hussein actually has nuclear weapons the task becomes far more dangerous - for America, Israel and the world.
Representative Hayworth is a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, District 5. The other candidate is Democrat Craig Columbus.
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