War is Here

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War is Here
by Dave Gibson, Columnist

March 20, 2003

Dave Gibson The United States has begun the battle for the liberation of the Iraqi people. We will bring to an end the reign of terror which Saddam has brought upon his neighbors and his own countrymen. A world without Saddam will be a world with less terror. It will be a safer place for us all. President Bush gave that despot, as well as the United Nations more than enough time to disarm. Hussein did not heed the warnings. He and his henchman will live to regret their defiance.

The U.S. and British military will move swiftly and harshly across the Iraqi desert. The Iraqi army (as we saw in the Gulf War) is no match for those vastly superior forces. There will be no doubt massive surrenders and many troops will simply abandon their posts. The Republican Guard divisions will more than likely put up more of a fight, however, they will be decimated as a result.

As our troops near Baghdad...the fighting may become more intense and bloody. For the last several days, Saddam has been pulling forces and more sophisticated weaponry into and around Baghdad. He has apparently decided to make his stand (albeit his last one) in the Iraqi capital. His hopes are to draw U.S. troops into an 'urban warfare' situation. Anyone who has studied the Battle of Stalingrad knows just how brutal 'house to house' fighting can be.

The burning, troubling question certainly on every soldier's mind is what methods will Saddam employ? Will he use chemical or biological weapons on our troops? Will he once again attack the nation of Israel, targeting that country's civilian population? These frightening scenarios are not only possible, but as the war goes on and the Iraqi dictator sees his situation becoming more and more desperate, his use of weapons of mass destruction becomes very likely.

We have the best trained and equipped fighting force in the world. Our military is the best educated and most highly skilled force ever assembled. Our fighting men and women are capable and ready to take Baghdad no matter what Saddam throws at them. However, they are still made of flesh and blood and some will not return home. This nation must come together and show its full support for these brave men and women.

I believe that history will show that this war (which began with Afghanistan and will not end with Iraq) was a turning point towards a peaceful world. I also know that the U.N. has been shown to be an irrelevant body and this more than likely the beginning of its demise. In recent weeks, we have come to know our true friends and will never forget how our old ones betrayed us.

This war will not be over in a few days and make no mistake - there will be casualties. We must look to the past and remember the generation of our grandparents who endured so much to win World War II and brought down the evil forces which threatened the world. Unfortunately, evil has a way of rearing its ugly head over and over. We must now steel ourselves and resolve to support this nation and our president. We must never forget the dark day of September 11th. It is time once again to defeat evil.

Let our thoughts be with those courageous men and women as they sit in the cockpits of their aircraft, ride atop a tank, or load deadly missiles onto fearsome jets. Let us not forget all those who are willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for this nation and for all of us who call it home. ***

Photo of Dave Gibson courtesy of staff files