For the war: a Warnik [1]

Against the war: a Peacenik

The US and UK had to go to war to get rid of Saddam Hussein, who is an ‘evil dictator’.

Why now? We supported this ‘evil dictator’ with arms during the Iran–Iraq war from 1980–1988, and when Iraq used (American) chemical weapons against the Kurds in 1988, the world turned a blind eye.

He regularly tortured and executed anyone who opposed him and operated a regime based on fear.

Yes, but his was not the only regime in the world to do this, so will the USA now attack any country it accuses?

The suffering of the Iraqi people is entirely the fault of the government – if it had complied with UN resolutions then sanctions would have been lifted. The sanctions were imposed by the UN.

The USA has said from the beginning – though not always publicly – that sanctions would stay in place until Saddam went.

Sanctions were needed to keep the regime from becoming more powerful.

Sanctions in fact propped up the government because people who were hungry had no option but to support those who were feeding them.

This war is not about money; it is about getting rid of an evil regime.

So why are the Americans so keen to keep control of Iraq (and its oil) after the war? The US is already awarding large contracts solely to American firms.

Iraq has weapons of mass destruction – chemical, biological and nuclear.

No such weapons have been used in the war and none have been found. Nine other countries possess nuclear weapons.

Saddam Hussein has sponsored terrorists and is linked to al-Qaida. He could sell or give the weapons to them to use against us.

There are no proven links with al-Qaida. Osama bin Laden has even called a jihad against Saddam for being an ‘infidel’.

The Iraqi people wanted to get rid of Saddam Hussein and his regime.

This is true – but not at any price. The Iraqis may not want Saddam, but neither do they want to be ruled by America.

Iraq has broken seven UN resolutions.

But so have other countries, such as Israel, which has flouted many more and no-one does anything about it.

Iraq cannot be allowed to disregard the UN.

Surely that is exactly what the US and UK are doing now by going to war without the support of the UN?

After regime change Iraq will be a more stable country in the Middle East

The coalition’s plans for post-Saddam Iraq are not fully formed. Their preferred Iraqi candidate to lead the country hasn’t lived there since 1958.