Make Peace or Declare War

With much concern I have been following closely the events leading up to and following the attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. I have come to the conclusion that America has two choices and a decision should be made soon. We either open a serious dialogue and negotiate a peaceful solution to our differences with the Muslim world or, through an act of Congress, declare war on the region. There are no grey areas or middle ground.

Some will argue that we are at war now. But that can be debated. Yes, America was overtly attacked. Yes, there was massive loss of life. And, yes, we have responded. But Congress has not declared war, and our response in Afghanistan seems half-hearted and bogged down. It appears to be a slow escalation. This is troubling. America seems to be repeating history—namely a situation similar to the Vietnam "War." Our slow and gradual escalation of that conflict, over a decade, may have kept the American arms industry humming, but it also enabled the NVA and Vietcong to adapt, adjust, and compensate to our slowly increasing escalation, and in the end enabled their final victory. We seem to be doing something similar in Afghanistan.

To be frank, this "war on terrorism" is really a clash of two cultures, the Muslim world and the West. I believe the violent aspect of this clash could have been avoided. America's policies in the Middle East, in the past and even present, are flawed, if not inept. America has a complete disregard and aversion to Muslim culture, and our attitude toward the Arabs borders on racism. On September 3, 2001, just eight days before the attack on the Twin Towers, the U.S. and Israel walked out of a UN Conference on Racism at Durban, South Africa to protest a proposed declaration condemning Israel for apartheid racism in its treatment toward Palestinians.

The Clinton and present Bush administrations have repeatedly—and without a declaration of war by Congress, and before the September 11 attacks—bombed targets in Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq. The embargoes and no-fly zones against Iraq have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqi children. The facts cannot be ignored. The Muslim world resents invasive Western traditions and the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East.

A peaceful solution could be negotiated. America could offer to withdraw troops and equipment from Saudi soil. Through economic pressure we could convince the Israelis to withdraw to the 1967 borders and help to quickly establish a Palestinian state with full sovereignty. We could lift the no-fly zones on Iraq and stop the embargo, and drastically reduce the presence of American warships in the Arabian Sea. What should America receive in return? An Arab guarantee of an uninterrupted flow of oil at world market prices, security for Israel and peace in the area. Peace is possible and would be a wise move for both sides.

The alternative to a negotiated peace is war. If we cannot make peace, America, unfortunately, must conquer and dominate the area. But a slow escalation is not a wise tactic and won't ensure that we prevail. First, we must institute a draft. Second, it is important that the American Congress declare that a state of war exists between the U.S. and the states of Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Afghanistan. Saudi Arabia should be notified that it will be a staging area. Major bombing campaigns should be conducted from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, and aircraft carriers positioned in various locations in the area. Third, inundate the areas of conflict with U.S. and UN troops. In short, invade and conquer. Attack the head of the hydra while it is relatively weak and we are strong. Because eventually we will become weaker, and they will become stronger. The flow of oil wealth to the region will insure that.

America, make peace or declare war. There is no middle ground.