War on Terror Links

12/20/2003: This page still needs a serious update as my opinions on the matter have changed. For now, I'm just adding new links as they warrant.

This is a list of links that have helped shape my take on the War on Terror, in which I include the current Operation Iraqi Freedom. I admit there are a lot more links here supporting the war than opposing it; not surprisingly, I see the war in Iraq as a necessary evil for several reasons, including abolishing terror as well as Iraqi freedom.

Note that part of what convinced me was the debate on a couple private discussion lists among fellow ASP.NET programmers, who quoted most of the links listed here as evidence to support their viewpoints. Most of the anti-war debate was done before fighting started--around letting inspections continue and seeking UN support. There honestly hasn't been much since then, except to argue that some of the initial "evidence" of WMD's found is not conclusive.

In most cases, the links are in descending chronological order, except where relevance pushes a link farther down or up the list. If you have any links to add, please feel free to send them to me. If I think it's worthwhile reading, whether or not it supports my views, I'll post it.

Iraq reconstruction links:

• Garner: Iraqi ministries to reopen next week (CNN) - The coalition's interim administrator for reconstruction addresses reopening government offices, humanitarian conditions, and the recent Shiite Muslim protests in Karbala. [24 April 2003]
• U.S. Planners Surprised by Strength of Iraqi Shiites (Washington Post) - An analysis of the Iraqi Shiite protests in Karbala, Iran's role, and how to combat the threat of an anti-American Islamic fundamentalist government in Iraq. [23 April 2003]
• Pilgrims flood Karbala on final holy day (CNN) - The increasingly infamous pilgrimage of thousands of Iraqi Shiites to their holy city of Karbala, for the first time in years thanks to America, as they then tell America to go away and die. [23 April 2003]

Links supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom:

• Iraqi Minister Scolds U.N. for Inaction Regarding Hussein (New York Times) - Iraq's foreign minister accuses the UN of failing his country where America came to its aid. [16 December 2003]
• Saddam Hussein arrested in Iraq (BBC) - We finally got him! And he's looking just a little like Santa Claus. As CNN points out, "not a single shot was fired" to capture him, after all the destructive decapitation attacks. [14 December 2003]
• What Iraqis Really Think (Wall Street Journal via AEI) - Polls on what Iraqis really think about what America's doing, what bin Laden's doing, and a new Iraqi government. Sounds like well-publicized fears of an Islamic state, another dictator, hatred towards America, and sympathy for terrorists are overstated. [10 September 2003]
• Jailed Iraqi children run free as Marines roll into Baghdad suburbs (AFP) - Another story on the reception our troops are getting from civilians, and a contrast with what things were like before we got there. [8 April 2003]
• U.S. Troops Get Drinks, Warm Welcome in Iraq Town (FreeRepublic/Reuters) - Many Iraqi civilians want us there. [5 April 2003]
• Iraqi civilians feed hungry US marines (AFP) [29 March 2003]
• New Evidence May Link Northern Iraq Militants to Al Qaeda (Fox News) - The terrorism link was made obvious enough by Saddam's funding of suicide bombers in Israel; this however shows a more direct possible link to the WTC attacks [3 April 2003]
• Lucky Break for Jordan (UPI) - American and Japanese anti-war "human shields" interview some Iraqi refugees in Jordan about what life in Iraq was REALLY like. [21 March 2003]
• B-52 Bombers Take Off From Britain (Fox News) - About 2/3 down is the last remaining piece of the article that WAS at this URL, talking about Iraqi civilians celebrating the arrival of coalition forces in Umm Qasr and Safwan. [21 March 2003]
• Deadlier Than War (Washington Post) - On the rare instance where war is better than peace. [12 March 2003]
• Interview with Peace Protestors - movie (brain-terminal.com) - A bit unfair using the portrayal of protestors who don't know an acceptable alternative to war to imply that war protests are baseless. At the same time, I haven't found any good answers to the interviewer's questions yet.
• The War Has Refuted The Opposition (David Horowitz @ townhall.com) - Very anti-liberal, but makes decent points when he's not being inflammatory. [4 April 2003]
• Resolution 1441 (UN) - Links to the now-famous UN resolution warning Iraq of "serious consequences" in case of its failure to disarm. [November 2002]

Links against Operation Iraqi Freedom:

• Powell on WMD existence: 'This game is still unfolding' (CNN) - A report from the Carnegie group claims Powell's intelligence on WMD's in Iraq was unduly influenced by "political pressure," supporting Paul O'Neill's assertions that removing Hussein was priority, and an excuse was retro-fit afterwards. [9 January 2004]
• US ready to seize Gulf oil in 1973 (BBC) - The lengths America may be willing to go to to protect our oil supply... at least 30 years ago. [2 January 2004]
• U.S.: Hundreds of Civilian Deaths in Iraq Were Preventable (HRW) - Cluster bombing and decapitation attacks caused hundreds of unnecessary civilian deaths in Iraq. A quote: "The point is that the U.S. military should not have been using these methods of warfare... Cluster munitions cannot be used in populated areas without huge loss of civilian life." Makes you wonder if Saddam would have beaten our count in the same amount of time; freedom came at a high price. CNN also reported on this topic, citing the same HRW report. [12 December 2003]
• Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century (PNAC) - This is a Project for the New American Century report that has been quoted quite often these days by the anti-Bush camp as proof positive that our involvement in Iraq has little to do with human rights, terrorism, or homeland security. I've only glanced through it, but I didn't see any such thing so far. [September 2000]
• Iraq - Human Rights Concerns (Amnesty International)

Updates on Afghanistan:

• Two U.S. Marines Killed in Afghanistan (AP) - The number of troops in Afghanistan is up to 20,000 (twice the initial troops sent there, and about 13% of what we initially sent into Iraq) and we're still looking for bin Laden. [25 June 2004]
• Major Afghan offensive launched (CNN) - The "largest ground operation yet in Afghanistan" has begun, and this article paints a slightly more compassionate and competent picture of the war on terror than it's otherwise gotten in the media lately. [8 December 2003]
• AFGHANISTAN: Nation-building (CFR) - This is a very interesting and informative piece on our progress rebuilding Afghanistan, and how that relates and compares to rebuilding Iraq. [24 April 2003]
• Afghanistan bombing intensifies after firefight (CNN) - We haven't left Afghanistan; it's just getting a lot less press these days. [3 April 2003]
• 2 Americans Killed in Ambush in Afghanistan (Washington Post) [29 March 2003]
• Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Names Names (Time) [24 March 2003]

Other links:

• Faces of Valor (MilitaryCity.com) - In a recent blog post, I referenced Captain Sisko from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and how he had the routine of reading down the list of casualties regularly as a way of paying respect to those who had died for the Federation in the war against the Dominion. Since then, I've discovered this similar list for US casualties in this war, and have begun reading it for the same reason.
• Russia strikes oil deal with Iraq (CNN) - Highlights a possible reason Russia and France are against Operation Iraqi Freedom... [17 January 2003]
• ...or maybe not France: Chirac no 'yes' man on Iraq (CNN) [26 February 2003]
• Human rights in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan (HRW)
• Background on War in Iraq (HRW) - HRW gives a more balanced view of US human rights violations in the war and Iraq human rights violations.
• The Five S's: Surrender 101 (CNN) - How surrender works when you're an Iraqi surrendering to the coalition.
• Has the UN Outlived Its Usefulness? (Arab News) [13 March 2003 or earlier]