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Gary's weekly views
Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here
THE WAR IN IRAQ
After a dramatic all day debate on Tuesday of this week I cast my vote in favour of military action. I did so for several reasons.
I believe that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction that the weapons inspectors would not have found in a month of Sundays. I believe that he would be only too willing to make them available to terrorists who plan our destruction and – after 11th September - we could not take that risk. I believe that he would have played cat and mouse with the inspection process like the master of deception he has proven himself to be. I believe that it was important that Resolution 1441 was backed with force if the international community was ever to be taken seriously again by all the other dictators who are bound to come along. I believe that we have shown weakness in the past in the face of such terrorist threats and it is time to show strength.
In disarming him by force, or driving him out, we will be liberating the vast majority of the ordinary and innocent Iraqi people who have been oppressed by his murderous regime.
I would have preferred the action to have enjoyed the full support of the Security Council, but that hope was undermined by the unhelpful behaviour of the French Government. They are playing a dangerous game. It is imperative for future global security that the United Nations is strong and effective. Whether we like it or not, it cannot be so without the positive engagement of the USA. While we cannot give the White House a blank cheque, anything that drives the world’s only superpower away from acting collectively, only renders the UN useless.
Once this conflict is over, we must put an equal effort into helping a benign Iraqi government come into being and refocus our efforts on peace in the wider Middle East.
As we all know, many young men and women from this region have gone to the Gulf to do their duty. We know they will do it magnificently. They deserve and will receive our full support. But we should also spare a thought for their loved ones left at home, for whom this is a nervous and difficult time. Anything we can do to demonstrate that we stand with them through this agony of uncertainty is very important.
God speed and safe return!
posted by Nigel on Tuesday, March 25, 2003
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