Winds of War Blow in Texas
By Frank Fugate
On Friday, January 3, a dark ominous war cloud
hovered over Fort Hood, as President Bush paid a surprise visit to rally
the soldiers and warned them to prepare for war with Iraq.
I wonder how many of them might give their lives,
as Bush said, “not to conquer anybody, but to liberate people.” Have the Iraqi people asked us to kill thousands of
Iraqis and rain destruction on their cities? I hardly expect to see gratitude on their
“liberated” faces as they dig themselves out of the rubble that was once their
homes and go about burying their dead.
White House officials said neither Bush nor his top
advisors expect [hope] Saddam to comply and Friday’s visit to Fort
Hood was a sign of a war footing taking hold. President Bush and his advisors are trying to
convince anyone who will listen that eliminating Saddam will be a major step towards world
peace. This is a devious, fatuous and
debilitating assertion that is misleading the populous into supporting a dubious war. Washington has so mishandled our Middle East foreign policy, it is now clear Americans will live
dangerously not only during the present crisis, but for generations to come. Sadly, world
peace is a distant hope.
Courtesy of and © 2003 by Frank Fugate.
Frank Fugate is a former senior
vice-president and member of the Board of Directors of the Arabian American Oil Company
(Aramco). He spent most of his career in Saudi Arabia. Frank may
be reached at ffugate@austin.rr.com
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