It was my distinct misfortune to happen upon the “What We Believe” section of the website of Patriots for Peace. Out of curiosity I started reading and had a good laugh. Although I can laugh at their ignorance of the facts, of the meaning of common words, and understanding of United States law, it is also sad.

In case you do not know, Patriots for Peace are against the war in Iraq and stage demonstrations and protests infrequently around Charleston.

Here is a dissection of their syllabus on why they believe the “rush to war” is unjustified:

(1) preemptive use of military force by the United States establishes a dangerous precedent, particularly for other nations that feel threatened by the military power of their neighbors,

In the past we have tried waiting until we get attacked first and then respond, but Pearl Harbor did not turn out too well. Saddam was a well-identified threat to the United States; even the Democrat’s believed that until it became politically inconvenient to do so.

“If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.”
– President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

“Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.”
– Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998

“He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.”
– Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

The use of the word “preemptive” by West Virginia Patriots for Peace is quite telling. According to my dictionary, “preemptive” means:

1. Relating to or constituting a military strike made so as to gain the advantage when an enemy strike is believed to be imminent.

2. Undertaken or initiated to deter or prevent an anticipated, usually unpleasant situation or occurrence.

By using “preemptive,” West Virginia Patriots for Peace concede that the United States had an immanent danger in Iraq. Secondly, they reveal that they would rather be attacked in the United States than outside our borders.

(2) unilaterally overthrowing foreign governments (”regime change”) is a violation of US law, international law, and the United Nations Charter,

It is impossible for Iraq’s regime change to be a violation of U.S. Law as it was codified into Public Law 105-338 (the “Iraq Liberation Act”) and signed by President Clinton. The act states that:

It should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime.

West Virginia Patriots for Peace continue:

(3) United Nations action must take precedence over unilateral American action,

Let’s get out that pesky dictionary again and see what the word “unilateral” means:

1. Of, on, relating to, involving, or affecting only one side.
2. Performed or undertaken by only one side.

West Virginia Patriots for Peace are forgetting the 31 nations that joined the United States. For their convenience, the list is:

Great Britain
Italy
Poland
Ukraine
Netherlands
Australia
Romania
Japan
South Korea
Denmark
Bulgaria
Thailand
El Salvador
Hungary
Singapore
Norway
Azerbaijan
Georgia
Mongolia
Latvia
Portugal
Czech Republic
Lithuania
Slovakia
Albania
New Zealand
Tonga
Estonia
Kazakhstan
Macedonia
Moldova

It doesn’t look too unilateral to me.

(4) war on Iraq would further destabilize an already war-torn world,

Public Law 105-338:

The Congress makes the following findings:

(1) On September 22, 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, starting an 8 year war in which Iraq employed chemical weapons against Iranian troops and ballistic missiles against Iranian cities.

(2) In February 1988, Iraq forcibly relocated Kurdish civilians from their home villages in the Anfal campaign, killing an estimated 50,000 to 180,000 Kurds.

(3) On March 16, 1988, Iraq used chemical weapons against Iraqi Kurdish civilian opponents in the town of Halabja, killing an estimated 5,000 Kurds and causing numerous birth defects that affect the town today.

(4) On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded and began a 7 month occupation of Kuwait, killing and committing numerous abuses against Kuwaiti civilians, and setting Kuwait’s oil wells ablaze upon retreat.

(5) Hostilities in Operation Desert Storm ended on February 28, 1991, and Iraq subsequently accepted the ceasefire conditions specified in United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 (April 3, 1991) requiring Iraq, among other things, to disclose fully and permit the dismantlement of its weapons of mass destruction programs and submit to long-term monitoring and verification of such dismantlement.

(6) In April 1993, Iraq orchestrated a failed plot to assassinate former President George Bush during his April 14-16, 1993, visit to Kuwait.

(7) In October 1994, Iraq moved 80,000 troops to areas near the border with Kuwait, posing an imminent threat of a renewed invasion of or attack against Kuwait.

(8) On August 31, 1996, Iraq suppressed many of its opponents by helping one Kurdish faction capture Irbil, the seat of the Kurdish regional government.

(9) Since March 1996, Iraq has systematically sought to deny weapons inspectors from the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM) access to key facilities and documents, has on several occasions endangered the safe operation of UNSCOM helicopters transporting UNSCOM personnel in Iraq, and has persisted in a pattern of deception and concealment regarding the history of its weapons of mass destruction programs.

(10) On August 5, 1998, Iraq ceased all cooperation with UNSCOM, and subsequently threatened to end long-term monitoring activities by the International Atomic Energy Agency and UNSCOM.

West Virginia Patriots for Peace really think that the world with Saddam in power is better than it is now.

(5) a military strike would result in enormous civilian suffering and death, and

Saddam killed over 200,000 civilians during his reign of terror. West Virginia Patriots for Peace obviously want him to continue.

(6) war fever is distracting attention from vital social and economic issues.

Our survival as a country must not be on their A-list.

(7) Finally, we believe loyal opposition is the mark of a patriot, principled dissent the obligation of every American citizen.

First, that sentence was plagiarized from Matt Miller, an op-ed writer for Tribune Media Services. Second, a patriot by definition is “one who loves, supports, and defends one’s country.”

The West Virginia Patriots for Peace cannot have it both ways. Either they are for preemptive attacks that defend our country and are patriots or they are against America defending herself and are the antithesis of a patriot.