Today, Iraq poses the greatest threat to peace in the Middle East. Iraqi weapon-development capabilities are a matter of record. Following the Gulf War, U.N. inspectors discovered an immense research-and-development program aimed at creating a deliverable nuclear capability. When the inspectors got too close for Saddam Hussein's comfort, he kicked them out of the country. Nothing was done about it, and he has continued his endeavors. Some estimates have Iraq with a nuclear device by year's end.
Then there is the question of Saddam's complicity in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Although there is no "smoking gun," it is hard to see how Osama bin Laden could have perpetrated such a coordinated operation from a cave in Afghanistan without the help of a sophisticated intelligence infrastructure. Iraq has the means to coordinate such action, and many believe it was connected to the attacks. It has the motive, the resources, and the desire to cripple the United States and Israel. It has funded Hezbollah and al Qaeda. Saddam might not undertake a nuclear attack on the continental United States for fear of immediate retaliation on Baghdad. But an Iraqi-support nuclear attack on Tel Aviv is almost certain, and smuggling a suitcase nuke into Baltimore Harbor also is a possibility.
President George W. Bush has two choices: eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction threat or eliminate Saddam Hussein and his regime. Eliminating the threat alone, if possible, will require the use of air power against command-and-control nodes and weapon-development facilities. It saves Tel Aviv and accommodates Arab sensibilities for now, but it leaves Saddam in power. Eliminating Saddam's regime eliminates the threat immediately. The Gulf States will accept this over time, with their security safeguarded.
The President must eliminate Saddam's regime—send the man to exile in Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, or wherever. To do this, the Pentagon must dust off the plans used for Desert Shield/Desert Storm and update them. A grab bag of tricks will be necessary to launch "Gulf War II," starting with a comprehensive psychological operations plan: literature, broadcasts, offers of money to defectors and internal agents willing to topple the government, and free passes to Iraqi military units that defect.
Our European and Gulf allies must be on board. Reportedly, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak is willing to approach Saddam regarding having weapon inspectors return to Iraq; give Iraq 24 hours to agree. We will need a strong naval force—three carrier battle groups and amphibious assets—Army Rangers and infantry units, and special forces staged forward. The Air Force will be required to take out significant military targets: antiair warfare centers, communication facilities, and units of the Republican Guard.
We are going to war sooner rather than later. To get ready in the long term, we first must reinstate the draft. The draft ensures all Americans have a stake in the outcome. Fighting a potentially protracted engagement with the all-volunteer force is doomed. Second, we must call up the reserves. Activating the reserves spreads the responsibility equitably throughout the armed forces. Third, we must increase shipbuilding accounts to ensure sustainability of logistics and warfighting capabilities. Today's fleet is too puny for extended worldwide operations.
If Saddam Hussein is not checked, he will acquire and use nuclear weapons. Eliminating Iraqi weapon development diplomatically is not possible, because Saddam has an established track record of noncompliance with U.N. sanctions, and he will not change.
President Bush appears determined to defeat terrorism. Al Qaeda is under attack today; Iraq is on the short list to be next. It is feared that the events in the West Bank will overshadow the President's call to dethrone Saddam, that terrorist attacks in Israel will force the war with Iraq into a side tent. Any activity that subordinates the effort to remove him will reap death and destruction in Israel far greater than what the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict produces.
Much remains to be done, and the United States is showing the fortitude, stamina, and willingness to lead the way in ridding the world of the scourge of terrorism. Let's hope the world will join us before it is too late.
Admiral Worthington is a consultant with several defense companies and a former SEAL.