ABSTRACT
Removing Saddam Hussein should be seen as a service to the international community, to the states which neighbor Iraq, and to the people of Iraq themselves; it should also be seen as a legitimate move to defend the people of Israel and the United States against terrorism. In the case of Iraq, which has had a powerful central government and cohesive military units such as the Republican Guard, costs and casualities will almost certainly be considerably higher than in Afghanistan or in the Gulf War. But there are numerous other issues which this little parable does not bring to the attention, and they are issues which have to be dealt with before one can conclude that a war against Iraq is reasonable and morally justifiable. The American people and their leaders are not being asked to give an up or down vote on Saddam Hussein or even to endorse one proposal for eliminating him.
