To think Hussein peace- loving is just ridiculous

In Friday's letter "Justifications for Iraq war misinformed, hypocritical," Mr. Logan Smith did a very nice job of putting words in my mouth, then criticizing my opinions based on that. Today's lesson in having a brain and using it will be based on his letter.

I never said Hussein booted the U.N. inspectors out of Iraq. I said he denied them access to look for the weapons he is suspected of having. He continually refused to allow them to search in areas with extremely dubious excuses, and did all he could to prevent the inspectors from doing their job.

I didn't merely assert that Hussein had ties to terrorism. I stated it matter-of-factly, I thought. Does that mean that he has ex-roommates in Hamas, or that he was somehow linked to Sept. 11th, or al Qaeda? No, but the last time I checked, the majority of people who obtain illegal chemical and biological weapons from black market labs in Europe are not just harmless, peace loving members of the NRA. But still, that's no reason to kill innocent civilians living in Baghdad. That is Hussein's prerogative, after all.

Unless I'm completely mistaken, the war on terror is not limited to enemies of the United States, but is meant to encompass all terrorist factions. But I'm amazed at the telepathy Mr. Smith has developed just to be able to scan Hussein and determine just how benign his motives are. After all, the last 12 years haven't really managed to cast that much light onto Saddam, or the people he's fired missiles at or had shot.

Saddam Hussein is a threat, and I still believe that the threat should be neutralized, by force if necessary. I would be a bigger fool than Mr. Smith if I didn't think an invasion would be the only way to unseat Hussein, but certainly, let's wait as he has suggested, allow the inspectors to be headed off with every effort they attempt this time, and allow this evil man a chance to ruin more lives. Maybe, if we're lucky, he'll spare the children (to use as human shields). Then we'll know that at least we didn't do anything rash. And that way, we can also give him time to hide his stockpile his arsenal in his secret caches again, and stop firing them at the planes patrolling the no-fly zones.

Justin Hogg
computer science senior