The War on "Terrorism"

I believe that we should pull our troops out of the middle east and end this "war" immediately. There is no reason to remain in Iraq. The reason this war was started was because we need a scapegoat for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Immediately after the 9/11 bombing, we wished to go to war against those responsible for the bombing but had no idea who did it. We only went to war against the "terrorism" in Iraq because the president told us they were responsible.

The president picked the middle east as the attacker because it was "suspected" that Osama bin Ladin was behind the attacks and was taking refuge there. While in the middle east we also fought Saddam Hussein's armies as well. While I believe that we should do what we can to stop terror, I also believe that we should think rationally about what to do before taking such a dramatic step as war.

I believe that a deciding factor in going to war against "terrorism" in the middle east was because that is where most of our oil comes from. By fighting "terrorism" in the middle east, we protect president Bush's investment in the oil. And because he is still president, we continue to fight this costly war which really gets us nothing.

When we fought World War II was fought, it was to prevent Adolf Hilter from taking over Europe and the spread of Communism. We got involved when Japan, one of Hitler's allies, bombed a U.S. outpost, Pearl Harbor. It was with our help that we stopped Adolf Hitler and it cost us roughly $600 billion. It was well spent to prevent Hilter from ruling Eurasia.

This war in the middle east is costing us around $500 billion against an enemy that we believe was responsible for the 9/11 bombings. However, we started this war because president Bush said they were responsible. It seems like a really bad idea to continue this war based on the word of a power hungry president who has shown us time and time again that he has made bad decisions in the past.

Bush's Attempt to Increase Presidential Power

President Bush and his team ignore the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, which requires a warrant to intercept international communications involving anyone in the United States, to grab more power for its vision of an imperial presidency. When Bush was exposed, he still refused to stop. He claimed that FISA was too limiting for the Internet-speed war against terror. But he never explained those limits and rebuffed lawmakers’ offers to legally accommodate his concerns.

When Congress attempted to fix the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, President Bush’s lawyers made it work for them. They added dangerous additions to a bill being rushed through Congress before the recess. When the smoke cleared, Congress had fixed the real loophole, but because of the additions to the bill, also endorsed the idea of spying without court approval. It gave President Bush legal cover to more than five years of illegal spying.

When the law expires, the bill will be fixed properly. However President Bush wishes to place the “checks” under a few individuals giving the president power over the issue. However, giving such power to any president would be un-American.

President Bush says that the law should give immunity to communications companies that gave data to the government over the last five years without a court order because they should not be punished for helping to protect America. Bush’s real goal is to avoid lawsuits that could uncover the extent of the illegal spying he authorized after 9/11.

One reporter said, "Ever since 9/11, we have watched Republican lawmakers help President. Bush shred the Constitution, the very thing that governs us, in the name of fighting terrorism. We have seen Democrats agree or retreat in fear. I believe that it is time for that to stop." I completely agree.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/opinion/14sun1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin