| Randi Rhodes |
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Air America Radio Host & USAFR Retired
"When the resolution to use force in Iraq was passed though The US Congress, the information Congress received was false. Having been to both the House and Senate prior to the vote, it was clear to me that the decision reached to authorize the use of force in Iraq was based on the Administrations claim that Saddam Husse in possessed enough "yellow cake uranium" to make a nuclear weapon. The administration repeatedly told The US Congress and the American people that this was a "grave" threat to the United States. This key piece of information was essential for gathering the votes neccessary to pass a resolution authorizing war in Iraq. This claim was known to be false by the Administration while it was making that claim. Not only was Congress told there was a nuclear threat but that the threat was gathering, imminent, and the situation was "grave". The American people were told, over and over again about "mushroom clouds" and claims of Saddam Hussein purchasing "large quantities of yellowcake uranium from Africa". These claims were put in the Presidents State of The Union address after The Administration had been told by the CIA that this claim was false and based on forged documents. In addition, The President of the United States indicated he would, before ordering the United States into war, return to the United Nations for a second vote by the UN Security Counsel. The President of the United States contravened the UN Charter and did not return to the United Nations for a second vote. Instead the President of the United States unilaterally chose war without honoring the UN Charter to which the United States is bound. More evidence that the war was illegal. Kofi Annan speaking to BBC News on September 16, 2004: "He said he believed there should have been a second UN resolution following Iraq's failure to comply over weapons inspections. And it should have been up to the Security Council to approve or determine the consequences, he added. When pressed on whether he viewed the invasion of Iraq as illegal, he said: "Yes, if you wish. I have indicated it was not in conformity with the UN charter from our point of view, from the charter point of view, it was illegal." In the end war was declared unilaterally by The President of The United States without the presence of any threat to the United States by Iraq, certainly without any imminent threat to the United States posed by Iraq, and most definately without an attack upon the United States or any of it's allies by Iraq as well as in contravention of the UN Charter. Once the war began, evidence became available to the Congress as well as to the public that as early as 2002 the CIA had informed The Administration that no such purchase of "yellowcake uranium" by Saddam Hussein ever occurred and Weapons Inspectors were on the ground in Iraq when the President had claimed otherwise. All soldiers understand that they are never to comply with any order that is illegal. Lt. Watada has indicated that he would be deployed to Afghanistan to fight in the Global War on Terrorism, but would not wage war in Iraq, a country that posed no threat to the United States. He should be treated by the Military Court as one of the best and brightest our military could hope for. His honor bound duty was to ignore illegal orders as he did. He is a shining example of what a military officer must do in order to keep himself and his subordinates from following illegal orders. I pray the Armed Services will encourage more young Lieutenants to question the legality of their orders not less. Leadership of this quality would have preserved Abu Gharib from the debauched torturous mess and black mark on the United States that it became. Young reservists would not be serving hard time in Federal Prison had they been provided leaders like Lt. Ehren Watada. Our troops now face a dual command in Iraq that is not unified, and will report to Iraqi Generals once loyal to Saddam Hussein. This is unconscionable. What have we become when we order soldiers into a war zone without a unified command structure? How can this be legal or moral or the very best America can do for it's fighting men and women in a war zone? God Bless our Military with men of honor and strength of character like this young Lieutenant and God Bless America. Randi Rhodes Air America Radio Show Host USAFR Retired |
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