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 i V e ir