Currently only a few people oppose all war. For most Americans, war can be either just or unjust. For these Americans, a just war does not warrant opposition in the same way that unjust war does. A war of defense is generally considered more just than is a war of aggression.

The government lied about its reasons for going to war. Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator who oppressed and exploited the Iraqi people, but this did not mean that he was preparing to attack America. When he violated international law by invading another country, the United Nations formed a coalition to remove Hussein's army from Kuwait. That's because the principle against countries invading other countries was so strong as to require international action. But in the most recent war Iraq did not invade another country. Instead, America did - without the backing of the United Nations.

The case for war against Iraq was so weak that the United Nations did not buy it, even after Colin Powell presented his government's reasons for wanting to attack Iraq. Most of the world's governments believed that there were other ways to prevent Hussein from becoming a threat to the stability of the Middle East.

But the United States had other reasons for invading Iraq, so the fact that Hussein was not behind the September 11th attacks did not matter. But this does matter to the many Americans who are only willing to kill and to die to protect America. Americans should not be forced to fight a war based on lies.

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