] How does one make sense of the present conflict? As a
] student of International Relations, I am often asked to
] explain or express my opinion of the war. As a
] Portuguese-American, I am divided about the official view
] of the Portuguese government and the decision of the
] American government to mount an attack without a Security
] Council resolution. This action weakens the status and
] the importance of international law and institutions such
] as the U.N.
]
] Under the current operation of "Enduring Freedom," the
] administration has set forth a clear black-and-white
] policy of "you are either with us or against us" in the
] war on terrorism. The administration's goal after 9/11 is
] to rid the world of potential threats to the U.S. and
] western dominance. Thus, the latest operation, "Iraqi
] Freedom," is based on the administration's perception
] that this war is just and correct based on at least four
] justifications: the cruelty of Saddam against his people;
] the military threat he poses to his neighbors and the
] U.S.; his ties to terrorist organizations; his flouting
] of treaties and United Nations Security Council
] resolutions.
]
] Some contend that there is lack of evidence linking
] Saddam to the 9/11 attacks and minimize the threat that
] Saddam poses to the U.S. and its allies. Jimmy Carter and
] others argue that the diplomatic route was not fully
] exhausted, and the heightened pressure on%2

Divided about America's decision to go to war: 3/30/03