Iraq war (letter)

by Alan A. Hoysted

News Weekly, November 20, 2004
Sir,

Congratulations to Alistair Barros for his excellent article in support of the invasion of Iraq (News Weekly, October 23, 2004). Everyone, including the Labor Party, was convinced that Saddam Hussein had WMDs.

I believe he had ample time to remove them to Syria or bury them. Iraq is a big place.

We know for certain that he had chemical weapons because he had used them on the Kurds. A Sarin gas-shell was recently found.

If he had no WMDs, why did he defy 12 UN resolutions, and hinder and harrass UN inspectors until they left?

We also have the evidence of Kamal Hussein, Saddam's son-in-law, chief organiser of Iraq's weapons program, who defected in 1995. Believing WMDs to be a threat, George W. Bush would have been remiss had he not acted to deny them to terrorists.

Five hundred suicide-bomb kits were found and denied to terrorists.

Having regard to Saddam's cruel and sadistic reign of terror over some decades, would the opponents of this war prefer that Saddam and his crazy, cruel and sadistic sons were still in charge, raping , torturing and murdering tens of thousands of his own people?

The going is tough at the moment, but the best thing true supporters of democracy can do is to stop criticising, support America, and see this through to a successful conclusion. We can and will win if we persevere.

This could be a turning-point in world history. Bugging out is not an option. The consequences of the barbarian terrorists winning are too terrible to contemplate.

Alan A. Hoysted
Thomastown, Vic