One of the most controversial issues for Americans today is whether our nation's actions in Iraq and the Middle East are justified. In this speech I will show if Iraq is a military power that poses a threat to our national security and its neighbors in the Middle East. Furthermore if this war in Iraq is constitutional. What are some of the costs of the war financially and including the lives of the Americans that are involved in this conflict? Are our President's motives pure and do they reflect the thoughts and ideas of the American public.
Thesis Statement:.
Evidence shows that our involvement in Iraq is unconstitutional, unjustifiable, and costly to American citizens.
II. Iraq is a greatly diminished military power, and poses little threat to even its neighbors.
A. In the 1991 Gulf War, Iraq was able to field only a "Third World Military" that quickly crumbled before the US's technology and power, notes Owen Cote Jr., associate director of security studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the Boston Globe (January 12, 2003).
B. Since that conflict the Iraqi military has done nothing except decline in size and degrade its capability.
C. In 1990 Iraq had one million men in its armed forces, backed by 5,500 tanks. By contrast in more recent times the Iraqi military had only 400,000 men in arms and 2,200 tanks.
D. Those numbers are equally deceiving the Iraqi tank forces were primarily comprised of soviet models that date back to use during the 1940's. .
E. The supposed whole basis for war was to rid Iraq of their elusive weapons of mass destruction. To this day the discovery of these weapons still have not been found.
III. The war in Iraq is boldly unconstitutional.
A. "Congress not the president, has the right to declare war," writes William Raspberry in the Washington Post (January 6, 2003). .
B. In Article 1 section 8 of the U.S. constitution it is clearly stated: "The Congress shall have the power to declare war.