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CounterPunch
February
13, 2003
The Reckless
Bush Administration
War Path May Prove Disastrous
by Senator ROBERT BYRD
Senate Floor Speech, Wednesday, February
12, 2003
To contemplate war is to think about the most
horrible of human experiences. On this February day, as this
nation stands at the brink of battle, every American on some
level must be contemplating the horrors of war.
Yet, this Chamber is, for the most part,
silent -- ominously, dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no
discussion, no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and
cons of this particular war. There is nothing.
We stand passively mute in the United
States Senate, paralyzed by our own uncertainty, seemingly stunned
by the sheer turmoil of events. Only on the editorial pages of
our newspapers is there much substantive discussion of the prudence
or imprudence of engaging in this particular war.
And this is no small conflagration we
contemplate. This is no simple attempt to defang a villain. No.
This coming battle, if it materializes, represents a turning
point in U.S. foreign policy and possibly a turning point in
the recent history of the world.
This nation is about to embark upon the
first test of a revolutionary doctrine applied in an extraordinary
way at an unfortunate time. The doctrine of preemption -- the
idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately
attack a nation that is not imminently threatening but may be
threatening in the future -- is a radical new twist on the traditional
idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of international
law and the UN Charter. And it is being tested at a time of world-wide
terrorism, making many countries around the globe wonder if they
will soon be on our -- or some other nation's -- hit list. High
level Administration figures recently refused to take nuclear
weapons off of the table when discussing a possible attack against
Iraq. What could be more destabilizing and unwise than this type
of uncertainty, particularly in a world where globalism has tied
the vital economic and security interests of many nations so
closely together? There are huge cracks emerging in our time-honored
alliances, and U.S. intentions are suddenly subject to damaging
worldwide speculation. Anti-Americanism based on mistrust, misinformation,
suspicion, and alarming rhetoric from U.S. leaders is fracturing
the once solid alliance against global terrorism which existed
after September 11.
Here at home, people are warned of imminent
terrorist attacks with little guidance as to when or where such
attacks might occur. Family members are being called to active
military duty, with no idea of the duration of their stay or
what horrors they may face. Communities are being left with less
than adequate police and fire protection. Other essential services
are also short-staffed. The mood of the nation is grim. The economy
is stumbling. Fuel prices are rising and may soon spike higher.
This Administration, now in power for
a little over two years, must be judged on its record. I believe
that that record is dismal.
In that scant two years, this Administration
has squandered a large projected surplus of some $5.6 trillion
over the next decade and taken us to projected deficits as far
as the eye can see. This Administration's domestic policy has
put many of our states in dire financial condition, under funding
scores of essential programs for our people. This Administration
has fostered policies which have slowed economic growth. This
Administration has ignored urgent matters such as the crisis
in health care for our elderly. This Administration has been
slow to provide adequate funding for homeland security. This
Administration has been reluctant to better protect our long
and porous borders.
In foreign policy, this Administration
has failed to find Osama bin Laden. In fact, just yesterday we
heard from him again marshaling his forces and urging them to
kill. This Administration has split traditional alliances, possibly
crippling, for all time, International order-keeping entities
like the United Nations and NATO. This Administration has called
into question the traditional worldwide perception of the United
States as well-intentioned, peacekeeper. This Administration
has turned the patient art of diplomacy into threats, labeling,
and name calling of the sort that reflects quite poorly on the
intelligence and sensitivity of our leaders, and which will have
consequences for years to come.
Calling heads of state pygmies, labeling
whole countries as evil, denigrating powerful European allies
as irrelevant -- these types of crude insensitivities can do
our great nation no good. We may have massive military might,
but we cannot fight a global war on terrorism alone. We need
the cooperation and friendship of our time-honored allies as
well as the newer found friends whom we can attract with our
wealth. Our awesome military machine will do us little good if
we suffer another devastating attack on our homeland which severely
damages our economy. Our military manpower is already stretched
thin and we will need the augmenting support of those nations
who can supply troop strength, not just sign letters cheering
us on.
The war in Afghanistan has cost us $37
billion so far, yet there is evidence that terrorism may already
be starting to regain its hold in that region. We have not found
bin Laden, and unless we secure the peace in Afghanistan, the
dark dens of terrorism may yet again flourish in that remote
and devastated land.
Pakistan as well is at risk of destabilizing
forces. This Administration has not finished the first war against
terrorism and yet it is eager to embark on another conflict with
perils much greater than those in Afghanistan. Is our attention
span that short? Have we not learned that after winning the war
one must always secure the peace?
And yet we hear little about the aftermath
of war in Iraq. In the absence of plans, speculation abroad is
rife. Will we seize Iraq's oil fields, becoming an occupying
power which controls the price and supply of that nation's oil
for the foreseeable future? To whom do we propose to hand the
reigns of power after Saddam Hussein?
Will our war inflame the Muslim world
resulting in devastating attacks on Israel? Will Israel retaliate
with its own nuclear arsenal? Will the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian
governments be toppled by radicals, bolstered by Iran which has
much closer ties to terrorism than Iraq?
Could a disruption of the world's oil
supply lead to a world-wide recession? Has our senselessly bellicose
language and our callous disregard of the interests and opinions
of other nations increased the global race to join the nuclear
club and made proliferation an even more lucrative practice for
nations which need the income?
In only the space of two short years
this reckless and arrogant Administration has initiated policies
which may reap disastrous consequences for years.
One can understand the anger and shock
of any President after the savage attacks of September 11. One
can appreciate the frustration of having only a shadow to chase
and an amorphous, fleeting enemy on which it is nearly impossible
to exact retribution.
But to turn one's frustration and anger
into the kind of extremely destabilizing and dangerous foreign
policy debacle that the world is currently witnessing is inexcusable
from any Administration charged with the awesome power and responsibility
of guiding the destiny of the greatest superpower on the planet.
Frankly many of the pronouncements made by this Administration
are outrageous. There is no other word.
Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent.
On what is possibly the eve of horrific infliction of death and
destruction on the population of the nation of Iraq -- a population,
I might add, of which over 50% is under age 15 -- this chamber
is silent. On what is possibly only days before we send thousands
of our own citizens to face unimagined horrors of chemical and
biological warfare -- this chamber is silent. On the eve of what
could possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in retaliation for
our attack on Iraq, it is business as usual in the United States
Senate.
We are truly "sleepwalking through
history." In my heart of hearts I pray that this great nation
and its good and trusting citizens are not in for a rudest of
awakenings.
To engage in war is always to pick a
wild card. And war must always be a last resort, not a first
choice. I truly must question the judgment of any President who
can say that a massive unprovoked military attack on a nation
which is over 50% children is "in the highest moral traditions
of our country". This war is not necessary at this time.
Pressure appears to be having a good result in Iraq. Our mistake
was to put ourselves in a corner so quickly. Our challenge is
to now find a graceful way out of a box of our own making. Perhaps
there is still a way if we allow more time.
Robert Byrd
is the Democratic Senator from West Virginia.
Yesterday's
Features
Alexander Cockburn
The
Largest Anti-War Out Cry in History
Tom Gorman
Bill
O'Reilly's Fascism, Part 2:
Goebbels Would've Been Proud
Theodore McDowell
Searching for a Christian Response to War:
Iraq: a Call for Repentance and Resistance
Emrah Göker
Turkey and War:
94 Percent Oppose Invasion of Iraq
R.S. Zaharna
The
New Bin Laden Tape:
How It Plays in the Arab World
Maria Tomchick
Powell's Evidence Unravels
Harry Browne
The
View from Dublin:
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Iraq
Aviv Lavie
Partners in Pain:
Arabs Study the Holocaust
Bernard Weiner
Artistic Sign Language:
Symbols of the Coming Bush Fall
Mano Singham
What War Looks Like
Charles Sullivan
Manifest Destiny Rides Again
Nick Ring
A Student's View of the New Bin Laden Tape
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