¶ … invading Iraq. The writer argues that an invasion at this time is not necessary or prudent when there are so many bigger threats facing the U.S. The writer discusses why Iraq is not a threat at this time and why an invasion would be inappropriate. There were seven sources used to complete this paper. For more than a decade the nation of Iraq has been at odds with the U.S. Saddam Hussein, who is the leader of Iraq, has alternately allowed then refused weapons inspections throughout the last decade, even though he had agreed to them following the Desert Storm War of 1991. More recently, the President of the United States has focused attention on a possible invasion of Iraq based on the current war against terrorism that the U.S. launched following the WTC attack of 9-11. President Bush has invested many hours and speeches in an effort to convince the world that an invasion on Iraq is a warranted and logical next step in the effort to stomp out terrorism. While Americans stand strongly behind the hunt for Osman Bin Ladin and members of his Alqeda terrorist group, they are not as one sided when it comes to an invasion of Iraq. Given the recent warnings by government officials about possible pending attacks on the U.S. By Bin Ladin, it makes no sense to take any attention, funds, or manpower away from that cause, to invaded Iraq, which at present poses no threat to the security of this nation.

WHAT THE NATION IS SAYING

Recent polls have indicated that the majority of the U.S. residents still support the war on terrorism when it comes to seeking out Bin Ladin and his terrorists and doing whatever it takes to stop them in their tracks, however the support quickly nosedives when it comes to a possible invasion or attack on the country of Iraq (Wallace, 2002). Recently the American public has made it clear to President Bush that it wants solid reasons for any planned attack before an attack is ordered (Wallace, 2002). In addition the polls show that the public wants any action against Iraq to be approved first by the United States Congress and also to have support through U.S. allies for the invasion. Polls also indicated that only one-third of American citizens will consider supporting an invasion if he chooses to do so without taking it through congress and getting ally support first. Further studies indicate that three out of four Americans believe the president should seek congressional sanctions against Iraq and see if they resolve the problems before ordering anything so drastic as an invasion (Wallace, 2002).

REASONS NOT TO INVADE

There are several reasons that an invasion of Iraq at this time would be inappropriate. One of the most obvious reasons is the fact that Iraq does not pose an immediate threat to the safety of the United States (Afraid, 2002).

One can observe the feelings of Iraq's neighbors to determine how much of a threat it has become. There are six nations surrounding the country of Iraq. They are directly adjacent to the nation yet, they do not seem to fear the nation nor are they making plans to do many thing in a militaristic vein against Iraq (Afraid, 2002). The United States is much further away than the six neighboring nations are. This is one of the evidences that Iraq does not pose an immediate threat to the U.S.(Afraid, 2002).

During the time of Desert Storm the U.S. had no trouble-locating allies to stand by its side during an invasion. Fast-forward to today and the U.S. is struggling to put together a coalition in support of another invasion (Calls, 2002).

An invasion should only occur when there is evidence of immediate danger. The president thus far has failed to prove such a danger exists; in fact the quest to find a reason has turned up more vagueness than ever before (Diamond, 2002).

Regardless of how hard the president...

Some of the things that point to not invading include:
The CIA says Iraq is seeking to develop a nuclear weapon but is probably years from succeeding because of the difficulty of producing the necessary fissile material, especially under the international embargo on Iraq. The timetable could shorten if Iraq obtained plutonium or enriched uranium on the international black market (Diamond, 2002)."

The United States promotes freedom worldwide. It will go to battle if needed to protect the rights of nations to conduct themselves in the manner they choose. While the U.S. may not like the idea of Iraq designing nuclear weapons, it is ultimately their right to do so. In addition even if the U.S. wants to stop it from happening there is not enough evidence at this point that warrants an invasion

The CIA says Iraq is reconstituting its ability to develop chemical and biological weapons, though U.S. intelligence is less clear on whether Iraq has these weapons ready to use (Diamond, 2002)."

The fact that the CIA cannot prove that weapons have been developed would make an invasion and attack without merit. The U.S. promotes peace worldwide and to attack without proof of a reason goes against everything that the nation stands for.

THE BIGGEST REASON NOT TO INVADE

Few Americans can deny that what happened on 9-11 was historic. The decision to murder thousands of American civilians was a decision that shocked the world Osman Bin Ladin and his terrorist Alqeda group are an international threat not only to Americans worldwide but to anyone who crosses their mission (U.S., 2002). The FBI continues to update the states on threats that are being picked up through intelligence operations. The U.S. has seen first hand that the threats are not to be taken lightly. Almost every night the news channels broadcast home searches and other methods of locating terrorists. The alert system is being upgraded almost monthly as new information comes through about possible attacks. All of this is coming from the Alqeda terrorist group. Because of the very real threat facing America from this group it is important to devote all energy to seeking and stopping the Alqeda. Bin Ladin is sending open messages to the U.S. that it faces additional attacks. Iraq is maintaining that it does not want to go to war with the U.S. Nor does it want to invite an invasion by threatening the U.S. The only thing the Iraq government has said thus far is that it will retaliate against any nation that takes part in an invasion at this time. On the other hand the Alqada make it clear that its mission is the destruction of the American ideal and any American who supports the ideal. (An invasion on Iraq at this point would divert hundreds of thousands of military troops as well as millions of dollars in funds to the cause. This will take away needed strength from the war on terrorism that is currently underway. The search for Bin Laden and his followers must remain a top priority for the American government so that a future attack can be avoided. The problems the U.S. had with Iraq in the past were hidden in claims of democracy but many experts believed had to do with oil. The Sameer, 2002)

The United States accuses Iraq of producing and possessing weapons of mass destruction. U.S. president George W. Bush has warned Saddam Hussein of unspecified consequences if he does not allow U.N. inspectors into Iraq to check for weapons.

Bush vowed to use "all the tools at our disposal" to change the regime in Baghdad. "

CONCLUSION

While it is important to control the amount of power Iraq ultimately builds, because of its…