Essay Database

Supporters of going to war against Iraq offer two very different ideals for American action. Before the shooting starts, we had better be clear about which war we're fighting. The argument for it is that Saddam Hussein is building weapons of mass destruction that he will someday use or pass on to others. In this view, Saddam will always manage to foil the outside inspections he agreed to after his defeat in 1991. We need to …

…the threat. Or Saddam would obstruct them and, in the process, force our reluctant allies to recognize there is no alternative to war. But if the war with Iraq is really about a grander strategy to remake the Middle East, Americans need to know what we're getting into. A more democratic Middle East would do much practical good. It will also be extremely hard for an outside power, even the world's only superpower, to create.