The Iraq War

The Iraq War

I am ashamed because this paper might be very informal and emotional. As a citizen with pacifist constitution and from an only-one victim country of two A-bombs, I always feel a strong mission for peace. So I am against any war or local conflict with violence at all. But in this Iraq War I have to be careful as an American resident to avoid any misunderstanding.

I was almost about to have joined the protest against the war rally in Boston, but my host stopped me saying, “I am responsible for your safety and there may be violence.” I thank her.

Until quite recently I didn't even know the meaning of preemptive strike nor the details of Mr. president’s strategy as well. He may used this terminology to justify Afghanistan war because the U.S. had experienced the terror of 9/11 which seemed to be an international crime. I am even against the Afghanistan war because I believe war cannot produce peace and it involves lots of civilian casualties. Therefore, alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction also could not have justified the use of force.

If the president truly wanted to fight for freedom and democracy for the Iraqi people, he should not have ignored the U.N. resolution. The Security Council was split. And NATO was split. How could we say this was international democracy? They should have continued the inspection. If he and his administration wanted to topple the dictator by force, how can this unnatural democracy last after we succeed in getting it?

From the beginning Mr. President was an aggressive war hawk. He progressed National Missile Defense. He denied Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. He withdrew the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty. He recognized China as competitor instead of partner. As soon as he was inaugurated, Iraq overreacted in responding around the non-flight zone, then the U.S. and British forces bombed Baghdad coincidentally 10 years after Gulf War. China plane approached the U.S. spy flight and made it landing on an island. Even Osama bin Ladin himself might have overreacted the Bush regime. So everything seems to me the competitor’s overreaction to our administration and policy. If we had Al Gore as our president, we could have had another world. I am not a Democrat, but I dream. The world is now “Eyes to eyes, teeth to teeth.” And American unilateralism means nothing but isolationism and developing countries are accumulating hostilities because of a key person.

Japanese government also clearly “supported” the presidents decision and action, although even many political leaders said “unavoidable.” Don’t they have pacifist constitution that denied eternally all war as a mean to resolve international conflicts? I am ashamed as a citizen that Mr. Koizumi is a racist as his visit to Yasukuni Shrine clearly shows the evidence.

Anyway I had nothing but a prayer for a quick ending and not too much casualties. And I hoped that the humanitarian support and reconstruction process would soon come on. The UN should be respected by America and be further strengthened. All people in the world don’t like divorce but in stead like the harmony of a global family.

The above paragraphs I wrote during the war, and I am adding a few words because nothing have changed in my mind after war. I found how American journalism and citizens who read were biased. Even some photos on the papers might have been their propaganda, which I suspect because I had watched the Japanese TV showing their fault news. For example, why some Iraqi people marched watching our camera showing the US flag high? Japanese TV had reported that the US media hand the flag to the people to show their welcome in any war time, but do they truly intended to welcome?

War changes everything. When even the media is biased, it is very threatening for a citizen of country of democracy. Now the US is not the country of democracy because of a key person.

Iraq War