Time to Intervene?

Time to Intervene?
by Saima Alvi
06 February 2003 18:22 UTC

Time to Intervene?

       This morning, Colin Powell spoke to the
UN Security Council and presented the case for
war against Iraq.

       It is now apparent that within the next
several weeks, the US - with or without the UN
- will wage war against Iraq.

       The US will win - perhaps with
relatively few casualties on our side. Saddam
Hussein will fall from power (he's a tyrant,
and you'll find no tears shed for him here.)

       Then what?

       Will Americans be able to rest easier?
Will the threat of terrorism be reduced? Will
the innocent millions of Iraq be better off?
Will any of us be more secure?

       Sadly, the likely answer is no.

       War in Iraq will bring chaos to that
region - creating an environment in which
terrorists will find it easier to obtain
weapons of mass destruction, not harder.

       Until now, Saddam hasn't provided these
weapons directly to Al-Qaida terrorists.
Perhaps he's been afraid that this would lead
to his inevitable destruction by the U.S.
Perhaps he's been concerned that these Islamic
extremists would eventually turn these weapons
against him.

       However, in the chaos of war, Saddam's
stockpiles, assuming they exist, will become
more accessible to terrorists - and the threat
to Americans will increase.

       A U.S.-led war against Iraq will fan the
flames of hatred and breed a new generation of
young Islamic terrorists dedicated to killing
Americans.

       And what of the innocent civilians of
Iraq, who have will have suffered both Saddam's
brutality and the horror of war?

       Based on the history of the region and
our own experience in Afghanistan, the people
of Iraq are likely to find they have simply
traded one brutal despot for another.

       One thing we cannot escape. Iraq has not
_ever_ attacked the United States - directly or
indirectly. Even Secretary Powell didn't
suggest that he'd done so.

       We must try to deter President Bush from
launching this preemptive war.

       This war isn't going to make the world
safer for America or anyone else. That's why,
as patriotic American citizens, we have an
obligation to do what we can, no matter how
small, to prevent it.

       Frankly, the odds are against us.
President Bush has staked his personal
reputation and credibility on this war. He'll
say or do anything to avoid backing down.

       However, providing personal security to
millions Americans is more important than
providing job security to the President. And
protecting the image of America in the eyes of
the world is more important than protecting the
President's self-image.

       We believe there is still time to avert
this war. Support for President Bush is based
on the willingness of Americans to trust him -
to believe that he knows things that he can't
share with the American people. That Saddam
Hussein represents a genuine threat to the
American people. That preemptive war is the
ONLY way to protect America.

       If those beliefs can be called into
question, if doubts can be raised, public
support for President Bush will erode. If
support erodes, opposition will grow. If the
shift is large enough, President Bush won't
have the support he needs to launch his war.

       We believe President Bush's support is a
mile wide and an inch deep... That the right
spark could ignite the flames of doubt, and
help shift public opinion away from supporting
this preemptive war and back toward our proven,
traditional policy of deterrence.

       We believe that the American Liberty
Foundation, with your help, has a unique
opportunity to provide that spark. We've
written scripts for four powerful radio ads and
we're going into the studio TODAY. The ads will
be ready to broadcast within days of Colin
Powell's address to the UN.

       And we're launching a new website,
http://www.TruthAboutWar.org, to reinforce the
message of the ads and enlist additional
support keep them on the air.

       One ad documents the lies politicians
have told to justify war. Another raises doubts
about President Bush's claims and motivations
about Iraq. The third examines the hidden costs
of war, which can't be realized until years
after the war is over, and the fourth asks: Why
Iraq and not North Korea?

       The ads are being written and produced
by the same people who wrote and produced our
previous TV and radio ads, so you know they'll
deliver a powerful message.

       We need your immediate help to launch
the first wave of ads. We need to start buying
air-time. But first, we have to pay for ad
production and the website.

       Your contribution of $2000 . . . $1000
. $500 . . . $250 . . . or $100 will enable
us to produce the ads, complete the website,
and put these ads to work changing hearts and
minds. We can purchase some ads for even
smaller amounts . . . $75 . . . $50 . . . even
$25.

       To donate, visit
https://www.fbs.net/truthwar/donate.cfm

       The faster we can get these powerful ads
on the air, the greater their impact. And the
more opportunity we will have to reach out to
Americans who already oppose the war, enlist
their support, and run even more ads.

       The countdown toward war has begun. It's
time for Americans like us to intervene.

       If we are to have any hope of preventing
this catastrophe, we need to get these ads on
the air immediately. Your generous contribution
today will help make it happen. Thank you!

       Sincerely,

       Jim Babka
       President, American Liberty Foundation

       P.S. If you'd like to read the scripts
first before contributing, they are available
online at http://www.TruthAboutWar.org/scripts.