Editorial: War against Iraq justified

Last week, Secretary of State Colin Powell went before the U.N. Security Council to present evidence that Saddam Hussein was in material breach of numerous U.N. resolutions and to make the case for war against Iraq. Powell's case was convincing, and the U.S.--with or without the U.N.--should be ready to go to war soon, knowing that it is both necessary and just.

In addition to Powell's evidence--which included intercepted conversations between Iraqi officers about hiding evidence of weapons programs proving Iraq's obstructionism beyond a shadow of a doubt--chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix also acknowledges that Iraq is clearly not cooperating with inspectors, as required by U.N. resolutions.

After a decade of stonewalling and deception by Saddam and Iraq, it is time for the international community to step up and address this clear and present threat to both the world and to the Iraqi people. This is an opportunity for the U.N. to assert its relevance in the post-Cold War era. Rather than sitting idly by on the sidelines, waiting for problems to develop before acting, the U.N. should show its resolve and step forward to enforce its own resolutions. Rather than letting Saddam flaunt the will of the world and develop weapons of mass destruction, the U.N. should take military action. Unfortunately, some members of the Security Council, such as France, are being obstructionists to this enforcement.

France in particular, should be censured for its opposition to action in Iraq. As it has done for much of its history, France is once again refusing to stand up to a clear threat to democracy. Moreover, France's motive for so doing shows that it is complicit in Iraq's tyranny. France has sold Saddam a nuclear reactor and has a vested interest in Iraq's oil business. France supports Saddam's regime because of profit, a disgusting motive when weighed against the imminent threat posed by Iraq. Germany, too, has been obstructionist, although its motives are more noble. Since World War II, Germany has been reluctant to use military force. However, pacifism in the face of tyranny is synonymous with cowardliness. Germany Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder should demonstrate a modicum of courage and support war against Iraq.

Although nobody in the United States relishes the thought of war, sometimes it is necessary. The clearest indication of this is that Powell, the Bush administration's most dovish member, is making the case for war to the international community. If Powell believes war is needed after having evaluated all the evidence, then the international community should heed him. Anyone with an open mind about the war should be convinced by Powell's presentation last week.

However, there is still a chance of averting this war. Either Saddam can come clean or other Arab leaders can place pressure on Saddam to exile himself. But beyond Saddam having a sudden, radical change of heart, war seems inevitable. Although the United States should not welcome this war, it should be confident that war is the right course of action. The challenging part of this mission is the rebuilding of Iraq after the war. Iraq clearly needs to become a different place, hopefully an example for what the rest of the Middle East can achieve. To accomplish this transformation, Bush needs a clear economic and political plan, which he should formulate and articulate before the war begins.