American soldiers deserve full support from Americans
As the final hours before President Bush’s ultimatum to Saddam Hussein pass, our thoughts must focus on the men and women on the verge of war.
Some 250,000 American troops are ready to go to battle and risk their lives in the name of the United States. They are justifiably nervous.
While most agree, winning a war against Iraq is an almost certainty, there are many life-threatening dangers which exist. Saddam has vowed to use every means in his power should America attack, and even U.S. military officials concede he could unleash chemical or biological weapons.
The truth is we don’t know what grim actions Saddam Hussein is capable of perpetrating. He could set his oil fields on fire as he did during the Gulf War in Kuwait. He could dump oil into major water ways to cripple the environment.
Saddam could try to lead U.S. soldiers to the streets of Baghdad to maximize civilian casualties from his own country. He could attack Israel with chemical or biological weapons to further heighten Middle Eastern tension and add more fuel to the growing fire of anti-American sentiment.
When it comes to war, there are no rules. And we can’t expect a madman like Saddam Hussein to abide by any American wishes to voluntarily leave Iraq or to avoid using weapons of mass destruction.
If President Bush is to be taken at his word, and he is determined to rid the world of Saddam Hussein once and for all, we can’t expect this man to walk gracefully to the gallows. He’s going to kick, spit, fight and claw with every ounce of military might he can muster.
It is during the weeks, and possibly months to come, that the United States must remain unified behind its troops. Whether we side with President Bush’s aggression, or favor a more passive, diplomatic solution, we cannot waiver in the support for our men and women who are representing this great nation on the front lines.
These soldiers know not what to expect. In marching into Baghdad to oust Hussein, our troops could be walking into a chemical or biological minefield. They could soon be fighting an enemy they can’t even detect.
We can only hope these fine soldiers are able to return home safely. We can only pray they will be alive to once again see their spouses and their children.
Unfortunately, we know that won’t be the case for all of them. It is with great sadness we realize all of our soldiers won’t be able to return home. Some of our brave soldiers will die on the field of battle.
It is that commitment to our country – that commitment to the greatest nation in the world – that should be respected by each and every one of us as we go about our daily lives. While we are experiencing the many luxuries we enjoy as Americans, there are men and women, husbands, wives and parents, stationed in a Middle Eastern desert to preserve our freedom.