The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 31, Ed. 1, Thursday, January 17, 1991 Page: 2 of 4
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In the end Bush alone made decision
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Americans must assume
united stance in wartime
"Wc" is a small but powerful
..word that means you and I and
'ithc group containing us. And
'. now is a time when the power in
the meaning of that word must be
: -put into action.
' By no means does everyone in
!ihis country agree with the posi-
tion and actions the United States
'.has taken during this Persian
Gulf crisis that now has turned to
war. And probably even more
people have been unable to
'decide what role the United
States should assume. The
months leading up to last night's
bombings have been marked by
demonstrations debates and
indecision around the country.
4 President Bush has been criti-
' cized for his handling of the con-
flict and he has been praised for
-his handling of the conflict. Sol-
;diers have supported what their
country is sending them to do
and soldiers' friends and families
lihave hoped for a change of heart
jj'jn Bush or Hussein.
:: But now debates regarding
'.'whether wc should be in Saudi
Arabia or whether we should
Haunch an attack on Iraq have lost
their usefulness. Hoping for a
change of heart before war
. breaks out is now pointless. The
.f time has come for this university
'"and our country to act like a
"we."
Wc arc in a war a war that
could command a high price paid
with the lives of American sol-
diers We arc the enemy of Saddam
Hussein and the target of much
hatred from many pf the Iraqis.
Wc have enforced sanctions
against Iraq and now we have
dropped bombs on the capital of
that country.
Wc may see a reinstatement of
a draft calling to battle young
civilians.
We could be victims of terror-
ist actions carried-out in our
country.
We might suffer economic
problems caused by a need for
added support for the effort to
liberate Kuwait.
No matter what transpires the
people of this country have to
realize that we must act like a
country unified certain and
strong.
George Bush promised last
night that our troops would not
be made to Tight with one hand
tied behind their back. We too
need to commit ourselves to add
to the effectiveness of our over-
seas efforts by showing our sup-
port to the men and women rep-
resenting us. Negative public
opinion at this point in the war
can only help to force our coun-
try to fight one-handed.
The president and our military
have not attacked Iraq. Wc have.
All nr flawajs MMMyp
AJi SmMSM Cwi"MMMMMfcMlt
WASHINGTON (AP) In the
end it came to George Bush alone
to make the judgment unleashing
the Desert Storm of war against
Iraq a decision that stakes his pres-
idency on clear and relatively swift
victory.
Bush set his coutse even before
the Tuesday midnight use-of-forcc
deadline deciding a day in advance
that U.S. warplancs Would strike at
Iraqi targets Wednesday night
early Thursday morning in Bagh-
dad. But as Bush said earlier the only
war was the one that Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein launched against
Kuwait more than five months ago.
Bush's decision was to strike back.
So the U.S. action orders Were
signed Tuesday afternoon to be
waived only if last-minwte diploma-
cy showed the promise of getting
Saddam to surrender Kuwait. And
19 hours after the witltdrawal dead-
line the bombs and missiles struck
t Iraqi and Kuwaiti MM;
It wit the climactic step in
scries: of moves Bush hat ordered
since Iraq invaded Kuwait oh Aug.
2: Marshaling support tot a United
Nations response and later for eco-
nomic sanctions intended to choke
Iraq into withdrawal; ordering U.S.
forces into Saudi Arabia then
deciding to double them to a force
that might take the offense
He advised Congress consulted
its leaders but took the action him-
self. It was only last week with the
deadline looming that Bush decid-
ed to ask Congress to authorize the
use of U.S. military force against
Saddam if all else failed.
And all else had failed he said in
a somber television report to the
nation Wednesday night as Ameri-
can British Saudi and Kuwaiti
warplancs struck at Iraqi military
targets.
"Some may ask 'Why act now?
Why not wait?'" Bush said. "The
answer is clear. Tlte world could
wait no longer."
Bush stressed that the strikes
were by an international force part
at a M-ntfab aUiibce agaftwt Jhit.
That" force thqugH is overflown
fafty American.
And k was Bush's administration
that put the coaikion together lob-
bied through (he U.N. authorization
of force and got the Jan. 15 dead-
line set as a compromise.
When-each of those skips failed
to get Saddam out of Iraq Bush
ordered the attack saying the Iraqi
leader had "tried to make this a dis-
pute between Iraq and thti United
States of America.
But at times it has seemed much
more personal than that; Each presi-
dent has called the other names.
Campaigning for Republicans
last fall Bush made Saddam the
villain of almost every stump
speech likened him to Adolf Hitler
promised to bring him to heel.
Bush didn't set a time frame but
said he'd told commanders to do
what it Ukia "io prevail as quickly
as possible" with the greatest pos-
sible protection for American and
allied personnel.
Democrats who wanted to wait
out the sanctions joined in support
of America's 'fighting forces. Sen.
Sarp Nwutt DGa. sakl he expects
victory whW days or weeks.
But Bush also faces the boister-
ous opposition of a Victnam-ite
peace movement. There tucWtl
War demonstrators on the march in
American cities and a noisy vigil
across the street from the White
House
His policy has majority support
in the public opinion polls but the
protests cf a mobilized minority
became a problem for Victnam-cra
presidents and could again should
the desert war drag on. f
Eventually some political figures
who favored waiting out the sanc-
tions would start reminding Voters
of it. The war worsens the deficit.
Should it go on and send up Oil
prices it could deepen a recession
Republicans lopc will be over well
before the 1992 presidential cam-
paign. . i .
With swift victory Bush cepd
regain the political standing he held
before his budget and tax increase
troubles of 1990.
A long struggle with a heavy
casualty toll could cripple him
politically
Surveys show two out of three favor attack
By Howard GokJbwrf
Associated PrM WrKwr
NEW YORK (AP) Surveys in
the days leading up to the gulf war
showed two out of three Americans
supported an attack on Iraq.
"Whether that support lasts or
whether that support dissipates is
going to depend on the success of
military action" said Robert
Shapiro associate professor of
political science at Columbia Uni-
versity. A USA Today poll Monday of
600 adults found 76 percent very
worried and 18 percent somewhat
worried "that many American sol-
diers will die in such a war."
A poll by the Gallup Organiza
tion in Newsweek found 62 percent States should attack Iraq
support for combat if Iraq does not ' point if it docs not pull out
withdraw from Kuwait. But nearly
half 49 percent admitted having
some reservations about their posi-
tion. The survey of 751 adults was
taken Thursday and Friday.
A poll taken Sunday for The
Washington Post and ABC News
found 69 percent said the United
at some
The random telephone survey bf
78 1 Americans found support for an
attack among eight in 10 of the 69
percent of American $ who said they
think the war will be short. That
was defined as "lasting a few
weeks or months" as opposedLto
"a long time a year or more." jr
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"I don't want my friends
to get killed. I have four
or five friends" in Oper-
ation Desert Storm."
Kama Birdwell
Freshman
Sunnyvale;
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"I feel. ..that we should
stand unified behind our
leaders and support the
numerous friends and
family that are over in
Saudi Arabia."
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Kelle Campbell
Sophomore
Hcrndon Va.
"God used the Korean
War to spread Christiani-
ty... . This might be
God's way of giving
Christianity to the Mus-
lims." MattGIeaves
Sophomore
Richardson
"One person like Hus-
sein should not oppress
so many people and
cause so much pain."
Heather Goodman
- 'Senior
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"We've just got to pray
for the man Bush and '
the authorities that got us '
here." . .. .
Jana Jay
Senior' -.
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"We can't back down.
America needs to be a
country that stands strong
to fight for freedom."
lYicia M aynard
FrJamaH
"I'd rather sit in jail than
go. ...Or be a chaplain or
cook."
Jeff Medders
Fresbman
Mesquite
"I think war is not
God's will but will
achieve his purposes.'.'
"We should have giyen
sanctions more time."..
CorWtt Reynolds
Freshman
Nederland
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Diurryl Taweil
MWe should go in and do
exactly what Bush is say-
ing prove our point and .Lj
bring.the troops back
home where they
belong."
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 31, Ed. 1, Thursday, January 17, 1991, newspaper, January 17, 1991; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth96223/m1/2/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.