Will Grigg?s Liberty Minute

July 25, 2008

The Iraq invasion introduced the practice of pre-emptive war. Public comments by Vice President Cheney and others have promoted the concept of pre-emptive nuclear war as a means of aborting Iran?s nuclear program.

Now Israeli historian Benny Morris, writing in the July 18 New York Times, has introduced a bizarre hybrid of those ideas. He contends that Iranians should welcome an Israeli pre-emptive military strike, and hope it succeeds ? because the only alternative would be complete annihilation by an Israeli nuclear strike.

Unless Iran?s rulers dismantle their nuclear program, writes Morris, ?the best they can hope for is that Israel?s conventional air assault will destroy their nuclear facilities?. [T]he alternative is an Iran turned into a nuclear wasteland.?

There are other alternatives, of course ? such as good-faith diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions that could lead to a war that would leave millions dead and the world economy in ruins.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.