General Douglas MacArthur once said that the soldier above all prays for peace because he knows the terrible price of war. No one of sound mind truly wants war. However, numerous incidents throughout history reveal that peoples have, at times, had war thrust upon them.

During one of the most controversial periods in world history, the governments of the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Spain, Italy, and the other nations of the “Coalition of the Willing” have implemented the letter and the spirit of United Nations Resolution 1441. This resolution called upon Saddam Hussein and his Iraqi regime to disarm. It was approved unanimously by the UN Security Council.

Unable to enforce its own edict, the United Nations allowed responsibility for the security of the world and an end to the oppression of the Iraqi people to fall on the shoulders of the Coalition, primarily the armed forces of the United States, Great Britain, and Australia. These nations found themselves diplomatically abandoned, even impeded, by a traditional ally—France.

The French nation, more than most, should understand the compelling reasons for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The French people endured Nazi tyranny and occupation during World War II. They witnessed the heroism of troops from other nations fighting and dying for their freedom. Many British and American soldiers who gave their lives in France during World War II lie buried there.

Today, in disregard for the lessons of history, the United Nations is faced with the prospect of becoming another League of Nations. The doctrine of appeasement failed at Munich in 1938. It failed following the 1991 Gulf War, and it will fail in the future. When diplomatic efforts prove to be fruitless, the specter of weapons of mass destruction and a direct threat from a tyrannical madman who has slaughtered thousands of his own people must be met with force. Many believe a failure to stand up to Saddam Hussein here and now would result in a wider, potentially global conflict, one in which no nation, including France, could ensure its own safety.

As Americans, we live in the most free society in the world. We have the sacrifices made by our armed forces in fields and skies and on oceans far away to thank for it. Our country entered into war in Iraq, in part to protect it from a repeat of the catastrophe of September 11, 2001. Freedom requires vigilance.

Further, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has proven himself a man of tremendous conviction. How so? He chose to stand up to a tide of public sentiment that ran against him prior to the war because it was the right thing to do.

Certainly, those who are against the war in Iraq have a right to their opinions. In the United States we sometimes take for granted our right to disagree with our government and to voice our opposing view loudly, a freedom we must hold dear. Perhaps at times such as these, war protesters should contemplate the sacrifices of those who afforded them the opportunities to express their views. Remember also that the United States is active in the larger War Against Terror. American troops are on the ground in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and the Philippines. They are doing what they do so that all of us can continue doing what we do.

The war in Iraq, likely far from over as I write this on April 1, is not a war of conquest. This war is not a war for oil. This war is not a war of religion. This war is the price we pay to defend freedom against those who would take it, those who would hold the world hostage.

The courage and commitment of each generation is tested. Through it all, we should bear in mind the sobering words, “Greater love hath no man than he who would lay down his life for a friend.”

Michael E. Haskew

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