THE EDITOR, Sir:
ALTHOUGH THE war has started, this letter is relevant, for what has started can be stopped once the powers that be realise their error. Persistence in realised error is wrong.
I now refer to the article "Get out, Saddam" in The Gleaner dated Tuesday, March 18, 2003. A section of this article reads:
".... Bush focused on the questions most asked by Americans. Why war? And why now? Spelling out the threat, he said Saddam has weapons of mass destruction he might share with terrorists, has a history of hating America and is a destabilising force in the Middle East. 'The United States did nothing to deserve or invite this threat, but we will do everything to defeat it. Instead of drifting along toward tragedy, we will set a course toward safety,' the president said from the White House".
What someone might do does not warrant war. For what might, may never..
How does Bush know that what might happen, will happen?
In the just war the just side has experienced damage as quoted previously; exhausts all peaceful means before commencement; must see real chances of success; does not use arms that cause graver evils than the evil to be eliminated.
As for possibly finding chemical weapons in Iraq, the justification of a war cannot come during the war. It also cannot come after.
I am, etc.,
ROMAIN STEWART
rostewart@go-jamaica.com
