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Thinking Creatively about the Iraq Crisis

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This page was made before the Iraq War began.

Now that war is underway and major questions are being asked about its justice, its motivations, its likely aftermath, as well as its strategy and battlefield realities.

We believe that dialogue lies at the center of whatever positive possibilities there are in times of crisis.

We urge you to get involved in dialogue with others who hold different opinions. Programs and resources for such dialogue can be found at the

National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation's Iraq Crisis Forum.

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There is good reason to believe that the Iraq crisis is about more than a brutal dictator, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction (see Some Factors in the Middle East Crisis and 13myths.org). But dominant narratives about what's going on and why still play a major role wherever there is even a spark of democracy in a society.

There is enough truth in the narrative about brutal ambitious dictator Saddam Hussein creating weapons of mass destruction that any peace movement that wants to be viewed as credible (as opposed to either soft-heartedly naive or treasonously anti-American) by the broad public must be able to provide believable answers to the question commonly and correctly asked by concerned citizens: "Well, if we don't go to war, what SHOULD we do to handle this?"

Therefore, this page not only debunks the oversimplified narrative being used to generate this crisis, but offers solutions that some people have put forward, not just to prevent war, but to solve the problems that the war is being proposed to solve.

I will leave the estimation of the value of these solutions to the dialogue and deliberation of citizens, experts and officials. Someday we may have what I consider the highest form of solution in such cases -- empowered citizen forums which examine all such myths and proposals carefully and provide an official, trustworthy, wisely considered and coherent "voice of people" to replace the manipulative, confusing official voices of authority and special interests that currently shape the public dialogue.

To take action now, read the proposals marked with stars ** and decide what you'd like to see happen. Appeal to one or more countries' UN delegations, especially (but not only) security council members, particularly Britain, France, Russia, and China. You can contact them by email or fax. In particular, it seems to me that the Uniting for Peace proposal could set the stage for something like the Sojourner's or Amidon plans.

Proposals for solving the Iraq Crisis (including regime change and WMDs)

Sojourner's Alternative to War for Defeating Saddam Hussein **

Elias Amidon on How to Stop Saddam **

Jimmy Carter's call for permanent inspections **

Coleman Barks' Letter to President Bush

Creatively Practical Ideas to Prevent the War

Chopra/Caldicott/Twymann/Smith Plan to Prevent Iraq War by having the Pope (and other leaders) go to Baghdad **

Uniting for Peace - Using UN General Assembly Resolution 377 **

Petition and court case for an injunction to prevent an undeclared war **

Tom Lent's proposal for peacekeeping troops **

Paul F. deLespinasse to Kofi Anan - Keep UN inspectors in Iraq! **

Perspectives on preventing such crises in the first place

Atlee/Schutt notes on Nonviolent Regime Change

Some Factors in the Middle East Crisis

Here are some of the factors that various commentators have suggested are relevant to Middle East geo-politics generally and the Iraq crisis in particular. I am no expert on Middle East politics and this list is by no means comprehensive, but it does represent some of the complexity of the intertwined factors involved. I've provided links for a few of the less known major factors.

• oil (and sustainable energy issues, and global economic repercussions);
• corporate interests (and corporate influence in U.S. and global politics);
• American empire-builders seeking to counter challengers like China and Russia in the region and elsewhere and discourage any upstarts (as epitomized by the Project for a New American Century <http://truthout.org/docs_03/022803A.shtml>, which particularly targets the Iraq regime and has many leaders in the current U.S. administration; see also <http://www.lrb.co.uk/v24/n19/liev01_.html>);
• the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein (and other cruel dictators supported by the US and others in the past or currently, as it serves their interests);
• terrorism (although there is little evidence that Iraq is a major supporter of terrorists, especially compared to Saudi Arabia [where most of the alleged 911 terrorists came from] and Pakistan, supposed allies, and considerable evidence that war with Iraq will increase terrorist attacks);
• weapons of mass destruction (in the hands of terrorists, as well as existing and emerging nuclear powers);
• the histories, politics and destinies of Israel and Palestine - and the role of the Israeli lobby in U.S. politics;
• Religious fundamentalism -- Islamic, Jewish and Christian (including Christian fundamentalist millennial narratives that prophesy a Middle Eastern war as part of their positive End Times scenarios);
• "instability" in the Middle East that could endanger elite U.S. interests (to say nothing of everyone else's);
• the use of war, patriotism and "homeland security" to distract populations and activists from other issues for domestic political purposes (not only to distract them from growing economic and environmental problems, but to distract them from even noticing behind-the-scenes efforts to establish policies that, if seen and understood, would be vehemently protested);
• the (likely intentional) rapid erosion of democracy and civil liberties in the U.S. (as epitomized by the two so-called Patriot Acts);
• the relative power positions of the U.S. and its (perhaps erstwhile) allies;
• tensions between tribal and modernist cultures, especially in Central Asia;
• the war between the dollar and the euro as the dominant oil/global currency (http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/RRiraqWar.html);
• the role and fate of the United Nations, and issues of international law and "the international community";
• the long unresolved history of empire, oppression and conflict in the Middle East;
• groupthink in the halls of power, particularly in the U.S. administration http://www.boston.com/news/packages/iraq/globe_stories/091602_alter.htm;
• the need and desire (especially by the U.S.) to test and expand arsenals of new weapons;
• the manipulative use of mass media and the powerful institutions and technologies of "intelligence" and public relations;
• the failure of George W. Bush's father to remove Saddam Hussein in the first Gulf War.