FINDING WEAPONS NEEDED TO MAKE CASE

To the editor:

It has been said that nobody can see the future - and even if they could,
they might not want to know what was in store.

Most people can predict with a fair amount of accuracy when things are put
into motion what the outcome will be. The things we do today to protect
ourselves from terror, drugs and other unholy things also come at a price
in the future - whether this is good or bad depends upon your particular
bent on these subjects.

Prohibition taught us that there could be a high price in taking away
another's freedom to imbibe in "the devils brew," yet, we've pushed our
"war on drugs" down the rest of the world's throats for the past 20-plus
years. We must stop others from turning their brains to mush with drugs so
we must stem the supply - after all, it is the only morally right thing to
do and, with the right dollar incentive, most of the world is happy to go
along.

Before Sept. 11, 2001, we mostly faced terrorism abroad with half-hearted
cooperation from much of the world to combat it. Since President Bush
issued his ultimatum that in the fight against terror they are with us or
they are against us, no longer is there room for moderates. It could happen
to other countries so, to protect themselves from us as well as the
terrorists, they co-operate.

Our president's haughty words about Iraq; the United Nations being
irrelevant; our pulling out of agreements and unmet promises to countries
for their aid in fighting terrorists, etc., have set new precedents that
give the rest of the world more reason to distrust us. How many of these
allies in the war on terrorism will still be with us in the future?

From the perspective of an Arab country in the Middle East, what kind of
things in the future do you see coming from the United States of America?
We will win this war with Iraq but the price has been high in global trust
and good will that we may want in dealing with other Iraq-like situations
in the future.

I don't wish any harm to our troops in Iraq, but I sure hope we find Saddam
attempting to use the weapons that U.N. inspectors could not find, because
this is Bush's biggest reason for the war.

Proof of chemical weapons used by Saddam in this war could make a world of
difference to our future.

Ken Hayden

Jacksonville