1. Iraq poses no clear and present danger to other countries,
especially the
U.S., as there is no evidence of plans to invade another country or use
weapons of mass destruction.
2. Iraq poses less of a threat to the world than at any time
in the last
decade, according to a 2002 CIA report.
3. An invasion will make it easier, not harder, for al Qaeda
to recruit
terrorists, leading to an increase in terrorism in the U.S. and around the
world.
4. An invasion gives Hussein a reason to use his full arsenal
of weapons
against attackers and nearby countries because he would have nothing to
lose.
5. No link has been established between Iraq and the al Qaeda
terrorist
network.
6. An invasion could inflame a region where international tensions
are
already high.
7. An unprovoked attack by one country against another is an
unnecessary and
immoral act that blatantly disrespects national sovereignty and security.
8. The massive civilian casualties likely to occur in an invasion
would
unite the world against the U.S. in a globally-interrelated age in which
isolation is foolish.
9. The hundreds of billions of dollars required for an invasion
and
long-term occupation of Iraq could push the U.S. economy into a deep
recession.
10. Worldwide opposition to an invasion could further damage
the U.S.
economy because one-quarter of our GNP is tied to international trade.
11. "Regime change" is not an acceptable reason for an invasion.
12. Experts estimate that Iraq is still 3 to 5 years away from
developing
even a short-range nuclear weapon that would endanger its neighbors.
13. A pre-emptive strike would lend justification to other nations, to attack their perceived enemies.
14. An invasion in defiance of the United Nations would snub
the legitimacy
of the only world body equipped to mediate international conflicts.
15. A unilateral Iraq invasion and subsequent invasions of other
countries--now sanctioned by the "National Security Strategy of the United
States 2002," which permits and even encourages pre-emptive strikes--would
color the U.S. as the new conquering Romans.
16. Polls show that most Americans oppose a unilateral invasion.
17. Wars and acts of terrorism precipitated by an Iraq invasion
could last
for decades in an endless cycle of hatred and revenge.
Dallas Peace Center
4301 Bryan St, Ste 202
Dallas TX 75204-8147
Tel 214-823-7793
Fax 214-823-8356 <admin@dallaspeacecenter.org>