IRAQ
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 6, 2003 - 5A
Debaters argue validity of
U.S. right to invade Iraq
By Emily Kraack
Daily Staff Reporter
Students sounded off on the idea of war against Iraq in a
debate yesterday as part of the "Books Not Bombs" student
strike. The debate, held in the Chemistry Building, pitted
Michigan Review Editor in Chief James Justin Wilson and
Managing Editor Ruben Duran against Nursing School jun-
ior Abby Schlaff and Amer Zahr, a student in Rackam and
the Law School.
Wilson said that the Persian Gulf War ended with a truce
contingent on Iraq's disarmament and said Iraq's posses-
sion of banned weapons constitutes a violation of this
truce. "As far as I'm concerned, we're in a constant state of
war," he said.
Wilson said he approves of an American invasion of Iraq.
"I support the use of military force that is justified," he said.
Schlaff emphasized the need for domestic spending,
rather than war spending. "It's not possible to have a tax
cut, an expensive war and increased domestic spending,"
she said. "So many human needs are getting short-
changed.",
Saddam Hussein has put the United States into a posi-
tion where only military force is acceptable, Wilson said.
He quoted John F. Kennedy, saying, "Those who make
peaceful change impossible make violent change
inevitable."
Zahr said the weapons inspections merely represent the
Bush administration going through the motions of diploma-
cy, and that the United States will attack even if Iraq com-
plies with all U.N. demands. "If there's anything about the
Turkish mlitar
"It's not possible to have a tax cut,
an expensive war and increased
domestic spending.... So many
human needs are getting
shortchanged."
-- Abby Schlaff
Nursing School junior
Bush administration, it's that they're not smart enough to
trick anyone," he said.
Schlaff argued against what she felt are the prevailing
arguments for an Iraq war. She said there is no clear link
between Saddam and al-Qaida and that there is no certain
evidence Iraq has any weapons of mass destruction that it
could use to attack the United States.
Schlaff started by exhorting the audience to take up the
anti=war cause. "If you are not convinced of the need for this
war, then you need to be against this war because war is a
big deal," she said.
Both sides said they felt the crowd was very respectful,
although Duran called it a lopsided crowd. Wilson said the
crowd was largely anti-war. "We were in the lion's den
there," he said.
LSA senior Brandon Zwagerman said the anti-war side
swayed him more. "I thought the anti-war side was more
convincing' he said. Both side "were both rational and rea-
sonable."
pressursits
"/ A
AP PHOTO
Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Terre Haute, Indiana Air National Guard, the plane and pilot are deployed to Incirlik Air Force
Base in Turkey to enforce the no-fly zone in northern Iraq.
government to permit troops
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's
powerful military said yesterday it sup-
ported letting in U.S. troops for a war
in neighboring Iraq, boosting pressure
on legislators to reconsider their rejec-
tion of a measure allowing the Ameri-
can deployment.
The comments from Gen. Hilmi
Ozkok, the nation's top officer, came a
day after Turkey's top political leader,
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, indicated that
the government plans to reintroduce a
new troop deployment resolution.
The two men are widely considered
the most influential leaders in Turkey.
The military is the most respected
institution in the country and has led
three coups since 1960.
Their statements seemed to have an
immediate impact on parliament,
where the resolution failed Saturday by
just three votes.
"The conditions are changing fast,"
said Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat, a
deputy chairman of the governing Jus-
tice and Development Party. "Many
legislators are saying that they will cast
a positive vote if the motion is brought
to parliament again."
Party officials have said that a vote
is not likely for two to three weeks. It
was unclear, however, if the momen-
tum building in favor of a resolution
would push that timetable forward.
Washington has offered Turkey a $15
billion aid package if parliament
approves the deployment of 62,000
troops. It wants the deployment so that
the U.S. military can develop a powerful
northern front against Saddam Hussein.
In his remarks, Ozkok said a war
would be "shorter, there would be less
pain" if the country backed Washington.
Ozkok said the military respected
parliament's rejection of the resolution.
But he appeared to urge parliament to
reconsider, stating that if Turkey did
not support the United States, Ankara
would have no say in Iraq's future.
Many deputies said they voted
against the resolution despite the Cabi-
net's endorsement because public sup-
port is overwhelmingly against an Iraq
war, with polls showing that up to 94
percent of Turks oppose a war.
Ozkok directly addressed that
concern.
"They say 94 percent are against
war," he said. "It is wrong. One hun-
dred percent of the public is against a
war."
But, he said, if Turkey allows in
American troops "the war would be
shorter, there would be less pain ...
fewer people will die."
"Turkey is not capable of preventing
the war on its own. Our choice isn't
between good and bad. Our choice is
between bad and worse," Ozkok said.
POWELL
Continued from Page 1A
take on 130 U.S. planes, the ostensible
objective being to continue enforcing
the no-flight zone over northern Iraq,
the sources said.
In addition, an Arab official said
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United
Arab Emirates will provide oil to Jor-
dan on the assumption Jordan's sup-
plies from Iraq will be cut off in the
event of war. According to the offi-
cial, the amounts would be 50,000
barrels a day each from Saudi Arabia
and Kuwait and 20,000 barrels a day
from the UAE.
Today, Powell will make a trip to
New York where he will try to cajole
fellow U.N. Security Council envoys
to back the resolution advocating war
against Iraq. At present, the Bush
administration is short of the nine
votes it needs to prevail in the Coun-
cil vote.
President Bush spoke on the phone
yesterday with leaders of two coun-
tries whose votes he needs, Cameroon
and Pakistan.
Bush commended the "professional-
ism and bravery" of Pakistani security
forces to President Gen. Pervez
Musharraf, said White House
spokesman Sean McCormack. The
president and Cameroon President Paul
Biya discussed "the friendship and
importance of the bilateral relation-
ships" between the two countries,
McCormack said.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Two U.N.-
based Iraqi diplomats were ordered
yesterday to leave the country, and
officials said the United States asked
60 countries to expel Iraqis who offi-
cials say are undercover officers who
may be poised to attack American
interests overseas.
The government has identified 300
Iraqis in the 60 countries whom offi-
cials want expelled, the U.S. officials
said. Some are operating as diplomats
out of Iraqi embassies, the officials
said, adding that the foreign govern-
ments are expected to comply with the
U.S. request.
State Department spokesman Philip
Reeker confirmed the expulsion
request but offered no information on
the number.of countries or their identi-
ties, or on how many suspected Iraqi
agents are involved.
Reeker said the action has no bear-
ing on possible U.S. military action
against Iraq.
The government officials, asking not
to be identified, said the State Depart-
ment made similar requests of foreign
governments before the,1991 Persian
Gulf War.
The current request comes as a U.S.-
led war against Iraq appears increas-
ingly likely. U.S. officials and outside
analysts have warned that an attack on
Iraq could well trigger attacks on U.S.
interests by Iraq or its allies.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said
yesterday the real risk lies in failure to
act against Saddam.
In that event, he said, there would
be a world "where Saddam and the
likes of Saddam are emboldened to
acquire and wield weapons of mass
destruction.
In New York, Iraqi Ambassador
Mohammed Al-Douri said the two
Iraqis being expelled men were
informed of the expulsion order Tues-
day at 6 p.m. EST and given 72 hours
to leave the United States.
The State Department identified
them as Nazih Abdul Latif Rahman
and Yehia Naeem Suaoud.
"The two attaches were engaged in
activities outside the scope of their
official function.
U.S. orders Iraqis to
be expelled from
other countries
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