Congress authorized President Bush to carry out preemptive defensive military action only in the case of a real and immediate threat of weapons of mass destruction. An example would be the launching of atomic missiles toward the United States.

Bush launched the massive bombing and invasion of Iraq on the false pretense that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and was about to use them against the United States. In 2003 he admitted publicly that there was no connection between Saddam Hussein and the terrorist a attacks on the World Trade Center twin towers.

When it became obvious that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush had to concoct another excuse for the illegal, immoral, and unjustified destruction of Iraq. He accused the Hussein government of "harboring" terrorist cells. Bush figured he had a winner this time, because terrorist cells exist all over the Moslem world, either with, or without, government sponsoring. Therefore, any invasion can be deemed necessary in order to "control terrorism."

But now that Hussein is out of the picture, terrorism in the Middle East continues at an ever increasing rate, and is beginning to spread to other countries, England for example. The American public is slowly beginning to realize that military invasions do not control terrorism.

Under the United Nations the political unrest in the Middle East was under control and progress was being made in slowly resolving conflicts. Bush's war dumped all that down the toilet. Bush's war has replaced the U. N. with war and misery for thousands of persons.

Now Bush's actions are claimed by his Republican supporters as efforts to spread peace and freedom. What a crock!

"Saddam murdered thousands of Kurds. Americans would never do that in our democracy." Really? The United States killed thousands of its own people in the 1861-1865 Civil War.

Bush is reluctant to attack countries possessing nuclear weapons, like North Korea and Iran. Is it any wonder that nuclear proliferation is spreading? It is obvious to foreign leaders if you have nuclear weapons, U. S. attacks will be limited to name calling.

The bottom line is this: We have destroyed the country of Iraq. We have demolished its factories, bridges, railroads, businesses, homes, and warehouses. We have killed more than ten thousand Iraqi citizens.

Do you really have to ask "Why do they hate us?"

The Bush administration has spent $150 billion on the Iraq war, with no end in sight. The Clinton administration left a budget surplus of $236 billion. The current deficit under George Bush is $422 billion. It is time for Americans to face the facts: our government has screwed up in Iraq and left the world much worse off than before. Staying only makes it worse. All we can do now is apologize and leave. Any reparations should be through the United Nations. The Moslem population does not want the United States to be involved in its affairs.

Pull our military out of Iraq, NOW!

An article by John Deutch provides detailed background information.