“Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their
intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike?”

-President George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, January
28, 2003.

In Madison, anti-war Americans are everywhere — seeking to
carry on the “glory days” of protesting found during Vietnam when
protesters dominated not only headlines on this campus, but
nationally as well. Former Mayor Paul Soglin, who is once again
running for mayor, is undoubtedly hoping voters remember his
anti-war activism during Vietnam when they go to the polls next
month.

Today is different. We were attacked. The events of Sept. 11,
2001 still hang as a reminder of how the world has changed and that
America is vulnerable.

President Bush made the case clear — we cannot wait.
Republicans and Democrats agree: Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a
terrorist.

And even though we cannot wait, the president remains patient.
He understands war needs to be avoided when possible. Not at all
costs — not in exchange for liberty, freedom or temporary security
— but avoided if at all possible.

The United States worked with the United Nations for seven weeks
to draft and pass unanimously U.N. Security Council Resolution
1441.

U.N. member nations have waited diligently for two months,
hoping U.N. weapons inspectors could do their job and make sure
Saddam Hussein had dismantled, destroyed or gave up his weapons of
mass destruction and biological weapons.

For two months the world has been lied to and misled, and
Hussein continues to ignore U.N. requests for U-2 surveillance
flights to help ensure weapons are being dismantled and destroyed.
Inspectors have requested meetings with individual Iraqi scientists
on 14 occasions — they have been denied all 14 times.

Hussein has proven time and again that he poses a threat to the
United States and the world. He has willingly beaten, tortured and
raped his own citizens. He invaded Kuwait 12 years ago and has
violated the conditions he surrendered to ever since he was
defeated.

Hussein has been collecting biological and chemical weapons like
they were baseball cards. His collection includes enough warfare to
produce over 25,000 liters of anthrax, produce more than 38,000
liters of botulinum toxin and the materials to produce as much as
500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent.

However, unlike baseball cards, he is not collecting these
toxins to look at or admire. Hussein is looking for avenues to use
this warfare or sell it to terrorist cells that will use these
chemicals against democratic nations.

Proof of the threat terrorists still pose was evident last week
when British officials uncovered a plot where terrorists had
planned on using ricin to attack British citizens.

No doubt these terrorists would like to purchase the arsenal of
biological and chemical weapons Hussein possesses.

And now, even after such a long wait, the president is giving
Hussein one more week to fully comply with U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1441 and actively cooperate with U.N. weapons
inspectors.

War can be averted. It is clear from the Bush administration’s
actions and patience that the president does not want to go to war.
Republicans do not want to go to war. And Democrats do not want to
go to war. American lives will be lost. The lives of ally soldiers
will be lost. Innocent Iraqi civilian lives will be lost.

No one wants to see this happen, but Hussein leaves the world
with little choice. We know he has these weapons because he had
them at the end of the war 12 years ago. If Hussein really has
destroyed them, all the U.N. is asking for is proof. That is
it.

Provide proof that all weapons have been destroyed and war can
be averted. Anti-war Americans, like the ones in Madison, seem to
be missing this point — that truth will surely avert war and that
it is Hussein who is lying.

We saw proof of these lies two weeks ago when U.N. inspectors
uncovered 16 munitions capable of delivering chemical agents. U.S.
intelligence indicates Hussein had upwards of 30,000 of these
munitions capable of delivering chemical agents. According to the
Iraqi weapons declaration, zero existed.

We ignored terrorism for too long before Sept. 11, 2001. The
Western world thought it was safe. Terrorism would not touch us.
The United States and the rest of the world learned a hard, cold
lesson on that sad September day. We must learn from that and not
sit idly by as Saddam Hussein continues to lie and deceive the
world while he works with terrorists and builds up his arsenal.

Saddam’s son, Uday, said if America attacks Iraq, Iraq would
make Sept. 11 look like a picnic. He is wrong. Sept. 11 will only
look like a picnic at the hands of the Hussein regime if we allow
them to stay in power and do not force disarmament; we would then
be essentially inviting an attack from Iraq.

It is difficult to admit war may be necessary because most of us
know at least one person who has been deployed or may be if we are
forced into battle. We can only pray Hussein comes completely clean
now that he faces no choice but war. Otherwise, we will be forced
to fight for the safety and security of the United States and the
world.

Matt Modell ([email protected]) is a senior
majoring in journalism and political science.