A PRESIDENTIAL GHOST STORY
President Bush's speech Oct. 8 defending his intention to launch a "preemptive" war with Iraq sounded like a Holloween ghost story calculated to scare the daylights out of guileless children.
The term "terror" or "terrorist" was employed 35 times; "weapons" — for use against the United States — 33 times; "threat," to America, 17 times. Weak and wounded Iraq was virtually portrayed as a military superpower about to conquer the world.
Among the missing words was any mention of Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar, who have evaded capture along with most leading operatives of Al Qaeda and the Taliban, much to embarrassment of the White House war room. As a consequence, the two leaders -- identified by Bush as enemies number one and two just a few months ago -- have evidently been metamorphosed by the White House propaganda apparatus into Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who Bush assured the world was also "a student of Stalin." Al Qaeda itself was mentioned seven times, but only in reference to the Iraqi leader, not to the former "Evil One," bin Laden.
Reduced to its simplistic scare-story essentials, the following excerpts from Bush's speech tell his version the age-old story of good against evil -- the Crusading Avenger Vs. the Bogeyman of Baghdad. It's a great tale to tell the kids on Holloween in a couple of weeks. Douse the lights, ignite a single candle, sit in the shadows, and begin:
"I want to take a few minutes to discuss a grave threat to peace and America's determination to lead the world in confronting that threat.... [Iraq] possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons. It has given shelter and support to terrorism and practices terror against its own people....
"We are resolved today to confront every threat from any source that could bring sudden terror and suffering to America.... [The] Iraqi dictator must not be permitted to threaten America and the world with horrible poisons and diseases and gases and atomic weapons.... Iraq's weapons of mass destruction are controlled by a murderous tyrant.... The same tyrant has tried to dominate the Middle East...and holds an unrelenting hostility toward the United States....
"Saddam Hussein is a homicidal dictator who is addicted to weapons of mass destruction.... If we know Saddam Hussein has dangerous weapons today, and we do, does it make any sense for the world to wait to confront him as he grows even stronger and develops even more dangerous weapons? .... We're concerned that Iraq is exploring ways of using [aerial vehicles] for missions targeting the United States.
"Iraq could decide on any given day to provide a biological or chemical weapon to a terrorist group or individual terrorists. Alliances with terrorists could allow the Iraqi regime to attack America without leaving any fingerprints.... Confronting the threat posed by Iraq is crucial to winning the war on terror.
"If the Iraqi regime is able to produce, buy or steal an amount of highly enriched uranium a little larger than a single softball, it could have a nuclear weapon in less than a year. And if we allow that to happen, a terrible line would be crossed. Saddam Hussein would be in a position to blackmail anyone who opposes his aggression. He would be in a position to dominate the Middle East. He would be in a position to threaten America and Saddam Hussein would be in a position to pass nuclear technology to terrorists.
"Our enemies would be no less willing, in fact they would be eager, to use biological or chemical or a nuclear weapons. Knowing these realities, America must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof, the smoking gun, that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud.... We have every reason to assume the worst and we have an urgent duty to prevent the worst from occurring.
"Some have argued we should wait, and that's an option. In my view it's the riskiest of all options because the longer we wait, the stronger and bolder Saddam Hussein will become.... There can be no peace if our security depends on the will and whims of a ruthless and aggressive dictator.... Failure to act would embolden other tyrants, allow terrorists access to new weapons and new resources, and make blackmail a permanent feature of world events. The situation could hardly get worse...."
At this point the kids at your Holloween gathering should be scared stiff. Then put on your Saddam Hussein mask, walk into the light, and shout "Boooooo." After the children run home in panic, put on your George Bush mask and start shooting.