Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

Matthew Dulin    Geronimo Rodriguez      Cara Sarelli          Lisa Street

V for victory?

Iraqis ambassador to the United Nations proclaimed Wednesday, perhaps rather aptly, that "the game is over," and wished his constituents well. News reports are touting him as the first Iraq official to admit defeat.

Of course, U.S. officials are saying the war isnit over until itis over, and there are still engagements being pursued in Baghdad and throughout Iraq.

Nevertheless, itis probably safe to say things will be wrapping up soon. Baghdad is more or less in our hands and, according to most news reports, the Iraqi people are plum happy about that.

Suppose we can count that as a victory. Suppose we can also safely say that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power, and that is generally a good thing for the world. 

But suppose this war never happened. Suppose there was no deadline, and suppose we were still listening to what U.N. inspectors had to say. Suppose those inspectors, coupled with pressures put on Iraq by the United Nations, had eventually been successful. Suppose the Iraqi people couldive been empowered to rise up on their own and topple the regime. Imagine that victory. 

Can you see the difference? Which one is preferable? Certainly the one that involves fewer casualties. But, instead, in a huff of impatience, the United States decided to take matters into its own hands and force Iraq to its knees.

This victory may have accomplished some redeemable things, but it has come at a high price. From the cost of human lives to new international tensions, the future is placed into a new uncertainty. 

This war was waged in the name of national defense, of self-preservation. However, only time will tell whether weive succeeded in securing ourselves or simply churned up tensions even more. Do we feel safer? Not quite. Did we ever feel threatened to begin with? Not quite.

Was this a war of preservation or vindication? Perhaps history will tell. As to why we went to this war, the answer is different for whoever you ask. That should say something. If thereis resolve for anything, itis to get our troops out of there as soon as possible.

So all we hope for now is the safe return of our fighting men and women overseas. We can also hope and pray that this sort of thing wonit ever have to happen again.
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