Brutal Attacks Against Principled Opponents of Iraq War Un-American

Brutal Attacks Against Principled Opponents of Iraq War Un-American
by David T. Pyne, Esq., Columnist and Legal Analyst

Fourth in a Series

November 28, 2002

Columnist David Pyne As a former US military veteran, this author has been a big supporter of Pres. Bush's war against Islamist terrorists. Fighting the demented fanatics who viciously attacked us and murdered more than 3,000 innocent American civilians is perhaps the most just cause for any war in memory. However, the president has attempted to equate his war on terror with his planned war on Iraq even though that nation had nothing to do with terrorist attacks against the US.

US national security interests in the Middle East and perhaps even here at home could be severely and perhaps unalterably damaged by such the brash, unprovoked invasion of Iraq. As former National Security Advisor and retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft so presciently warned, "An attack on Iraq at this time would seriously jeopardize, if not destroy, the global counter-terrorist campaign we have undertaken" and "turn the Middle East into a cauldron." It could also radicalize the entire Middle East, resulting in the overthrow of more moderate pro-US governments. Those US-friendly regimes could then be replaced by vehemently anti-American Islamist governments, which could potentially sponsor new and deadlier terrorist attacks against the US. Since Iraq poses relatively little threat to the United States, which is generally regarded as the most powerful country in the world, an invasion of Iraq would not merely be risky and dangerous, it would also be unnecessary.

For siding with former president George Herbert Walker Bush and virtually all of Bush Sr.'s cabinet who won Desert Storm, opponents of unprovoked war with Iraq have been derided as "traitors", "cowards", "appeasers" and my personal favorite "fifth columnists for Saddam." This even though they have repeatedly condemned Saddam Hussein as an evil dictator. This despite the fact that no less than eight highly respected general officers have courageously suggested that our leaders put US national security interests first for a change and avoid the Iraqi quagmire.

By implication, condemning all opponents of war with Iraq as "traitors" is an insult to the patriotism of the many former US generals including Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, Commander of US forces during Operation Desert Storm, Gen. Joseph Hoar and Gen. Brent Scowcroft, who have taken a principled stand against an unprovoked US invasion of Iraq. It is offensive to retired Gen. Anthony Zinni, Gen. Wesley Clark, Gen. Jack Sheehan and Gen. John Shalikashvili, all of whom have taken principled stands against an imprudent invasion of Iraq. It is an insult to the patriotism of former president George H.W. Bush, who led the US in a just war against Iraq in 1991 and who recently tapped his close confidantes James Baker and Brent Scowcroft to voice his opposition so he would not be perceived as directly criticizing his son.

Smearing patriots who oppose invading Iraq as "traitors" and "appeasers" is not only un-American, it is also an insult to the rest of former president George H.W. Bush's Gulf War cabinet including Jack Kemp and Lawrence Eagleberger. These men have all signaled their opposition to a US invasion of Iraq without widespread international support while the war against terror remains unfinished and unwon. Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the first Bush administration and current Secretary of State Colin Powell successfully led the charge to lift some sanctions against Iraq early last year and then tried to steer president Bush away from war with Iraq, but was forced to publicly get on board the administration war wagon.

The whispering campaign is also an insult to longtime Reagan conservative and House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) who said "the US is a better country than to engage in unprovoked attacks against other countries." It is an insult to Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN), and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and to the many other congressmen and senators who opposed this war on principle. One is left to wonder why so many patriots in Congress who supported former President George H.W. Bush's just war to liberate Kuwait are opposing the President's plan to invade Iraq without provocation.

It is remarkable that most of the opposition to an Iraq war is coming from military veterans, while the most ardent supporters of invasion are people who have never worn the uniform. Given this kind of widespread derision from fellow 'conservatives', I am inclined to agree with Pat Buchanan in his assertion that conservatism has been hijacked by neo-conservative internationalists and interventionists who have no concept of a truly conservative foreign policy that puts America's interests first. ***

David T. Pyne, Esq. is a national security expert who serves as President of the Center for the National Security Interest, a pro-defense, national security think-tank based in Arlington, VA. He has served as a Country Program Director in the Department of Defense responsible for the countries of the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and Latin America and has traveled as a member of Department of Defense-led delegations to Canada, South Africa, Israel, Brazil and Argentina. Mr. Pyne is a licensed attorney and former Army Reserve Officer. He holds an MA in National Security Studies from Georgetown University. Mr. Pyne also serves as Executive Vice President of the Virginia Republican Assembly. Mr. Pyne was recently interviewed on Howard Phillips' Conservative Roundtable TV program. Mr. Pyne serves as a columnist for American-Partisan.com , OpinioNet.net and America's Voices. He is also a regular contributor for Patriotist.com. In addition, his articles have appeared on Etherzone.com, Sierratimes.com, OriginalDissent.com and AmericanReformation.org where he serves as a national security policy analyst. He has been cited in the New American Magazine and was recently interviewed on Howard Phillips' Conservative Roundtable TV program.

This article was originally published at the Center for the National Security Interest.
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