In spite of the name that has been given to the war, “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” most of us know that the purpose of it is not to save the Iraqi people but to get rid of a threat, Saddam Hussein, and meanwhile to do away with terrorism.

However, the probability of terrorism to increase is so high that we can even talk of its certainty. President Bush and his administration are doing the exact opposite of what they initially intended to do. We were personally shocked by the extent to which Bush refers to God in his political speeches and the divine power that he entrusted himself with.

This war to free the Iraqi people and to get rid Saddam Hussein, is turning into a religious war: Christians versus Muslims. “Up to now, we had a secular dictator, Saddam Hussein. Bush now forces him to refer to the Jihad (Holy war),” says the Jewish novelist Marek Halter.

One good illustration would be the suicide attack in Netanya, Israel, on March 30. The Islamic Jihad declared: “This operation is dedicated to the Iraqi people who surprised the world by their heroism and resistance.”

If Iraqi people who fight are seen as heroes and martyrs, what do you think the outcome of the war is going to be? And what if Israel was bombed? What if Middle Eastern countries would benefit from that situation to unite against Israel?

Middle East already was a tragically unstable region; it is going to be even more dangerously destabilized. A big threat in this conflict is to get the Arabic countries unified toward a single cause and ideal, anti-Americanism, the radicalization of Muslim people and the terrorism that would be related to it.

Many people have demonstrated in Muslim countries to protest against the war in Iraq that is perceived as a real aggression. Thousands of students protested in Egypt and 200,000 people in Djakarta, Indonesia. In Pakistan, a privileged U.S. ally, 500 students demonstrated shouting: “We stand with Iraq!”. Five hundred students is not a lot, you would say, but how many people do you need to bomb a metro station? The problem with terrorism is that it exceeds the notion of State.

Even if the United States wins this war and succeeds in setting up a democratic regime in Iraq, there will always remain some people who will denounce this interference that is claimed in the name of another god. War always arouses anger.

Nicolas DIGARD ‘ Thomas Paturel

STUDENTS

The United States is not after Iraq’s oil

I am writing this because I am sick and tired of reading uneducated opinions from people who do not bother to do their research. For example, I have read a number of “No blood for oil” signs. People who believe that the motive for going to war is oil, need to take a step back and do a little critical thinking. In the past, when has the United States ever conquered a country and taken something from that country for our own use and benefit? If we want to accuse our country of something, it should be for being too nice. Just look at WWII and what we did with Japan. Not only did we kick their posteriors, but then we spent U.S. dollars to rebuild them (in fact we did such a good job of rebuilding them that they began to produce technology superior to our own). Name one other country that has ever fought a country, beaten the country and then helped the country get back on its feet. That’s what I thought. Therefore, it is ridiculous for people to believe that we will even touch a drop of oil.

I am also sick and tired of people making the United States out to be a bully and bad guy. Have the U.S. people forgotten the devastation of 9/11? Are we naïve enough to believe that if we just close our eyes and hope, everything will work out and there will be world peace? We became the great country we are through fighting and if we want to continue to be a great country, we will have to fight for it.

Saddam is truly an evil man. He always has and always will be if he is allowed to stay in power. It is inevitable that Saddam must be removed from power, and why not do it before he causes more devastation not only to his own people, but to ours as well? I am also disappointed in the responses to Brian Strait’s letter. If anyone deserves an opinion and the right to free speech, it is those who are willing to fight and die for those rights. Perhaps we should all take a moment and thank people like Brian Strait.

Bridget Toth

STUDENT

Directors for Ice Horizons did great job

I was excited to read your article about Ice Horizons in Friday’s BG News but was disappointed in the fact that you forgot some very pertinent information.

The amount of work that Shelly Bressler, director of the show, does is unbelievable. This year’s show is going to be over the top, but Bressler has been helped from the very beginning from the two assistant directors, Kate Sockrider and Lana Mastroianni, both University students. In addition to putting in countless hours designing, choreographing and directing the show, these two students both carry a full load of course work, work part time at the Ice Arena and teach about six to ten hours of private lessons a week.

This is a feat few University students could pull off, and both of these ladies do it quite well. Kate is a native of Bowling Green and has been skating at the Ice Arena her whole life. She has participated in five Ice Horizons productions and is also in charge of the Wednesday Ice Arena Group Skating Lessons. Lana is a native of Parma, Ohio and was the captain and president of the BGSU Synchronized Skating team, which placed fifth at Nationals for two years.

Both of these girls, as well as Shelly Bressler, have done a wonderful job with the Ice Show thus far and as a participant in the show, I can tell that everyone involved is having a great time. All three of these ladies have done such an amazing job and I just wanted to make sure credit was given where it was due. Other BGSU students participating in the show are: Rebecca Clemons, Kelly Moran, Jessica Rancour, Christy Bryant, Rebecca Wolfe and Melissa Ellard.

Beth Ullery

STUDENT