Although I oppose war in Iraq, I appreciated Seje Henry-Hughes' thoughtful opinion piece, from March 28. Henry-Hughes reminded peace activists of their responsibility to stay informed and reflect critically on the Iraqi situation. I understand why Henry-Hughes want to liberate Iraq, but war is not the same as liberation.

There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein is a murderous dictator and has committed atrocious human rights violations. However, ousting Saddam does not promise Iraqi liberation. Because the United States has already killed so many Iraqis, any American attempt to establish democracy in the region is likely to face opposition. United States intervention may lead Iraq to another political disaster. Our government helped place many dictators into positions of power, including Saddam himself. We do not know who will assume Iraqi leadership after Hussein. The next Iraqi leader may continue Saddam's political campaign against the Kurds. Hussein may even be followed by a fundamentalist regime that would attack women's rights in Iraq.

The only certain outcome of this war is civilian and military casualties. As of Tuesday evening, this war has killed at least 960 Iraqi civilians. Amnesty International estimates that more Iraqis will die from land mines or cancer caused by uranium weapons.

I disagree that the United States has declared war only to pillage Iraq's oil resources. I suspect that some European nations oppose the war because it is not in their economic interest. We are not fighting for oil, but nor are we fighting for Iraqi liberation. Our moral justification for war is intended to mask Bush's political interests. The United States is fighting for unilateral power and Bush's re-election. If the United States only wanted to protect human rights, why didn't the government take interest in Iraq years ago? Our commitment to "Iraqi liberation" is contradictory, given that the U.S. government maintains good relations with other oppressive states such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Our pre-emptive military attack has now given Saddam a reason to use his illegal weapons. Many people in the Middle East believe that this war is a Christian attack against the Islamic world. Our war against Iraq will exacerbate anti-American sentiment and may provoke more terrorist attacks. Despite its wealth and power, the United States is not above the United Nations. By defying the U.N., the United States is alienating itself from the rest of the world. In Europe, this war has stirred political tensions that will be tough to resolve.

While I disagree with Henry-Hughes' position, his article inspired me to research more about the situation in Iraq. I encourage conservatives, liberals, and super-liberals to respect the political diversity at Macalester College.