In every country I visit I usually have at least one meeting with pastors, business and government leaders. In the last few months, I think I have been asked one common question in every one of these meetings. The question is concerning what I think about the situation in Iraq—if I think it was a just war, and what I think the future is going to be there.
First, let me preface this by saying that I do not feel qualified to answer this question with authority from either my country, the United States, or from the Lord. Please consider the following as simply my perspective, limited and colored as it may be because I am an American. Please also keep in mind that this is “an American perspective,” certainly not “the American perspective.”
Even though I have always tried to preface my comments on this issue this way, I have honestly been very surprised by the number of people who confided in me that what I shared changed their view not only of the situation in Iraq, but of America as well. I have therefore felt I should share these views in this Special Bulletin.
I also understand that it may be very hard for someone who is not an American to see these from this perspective. By sharing this perspective I am not trying to imply that we are right and they are wrong, but I am trying to help others understand a perspective that they may not have considered, and may learn something from.
To really understand someone else you must “stand under” their situation. Because of this it is understandable for anyone who is not an American to not understand what Americans feel after the terrorist attacks on our country. It would be hard for anyone who is not an American to understand what it is like to know that there are thousands of very violent people who want to kill you, your friends, neighbors, and even your families, just because you are an American. When you travel it is very hard not to look at Middle Easterners without some suspicion. It is hard not to feel a general sense of danger.
Of course this is exactly what the terrorists have tried to put on Americans, and to a certain extent we must confess that they have been successful. What I do not think they understand is that this kind of thing will not change the resolve of the overwhelming majority of Americans, but rather galvanize their resolve. At least for a period of time the terrorists did more to unify America than anything did since the attack on Pearl Harbor.
It is often said that the world changed on September 11, but it did not change as much for others as it did for Americans. We are used to not being liked very much by others, but it is different when you know you have an enemy that considers it their duty to kill you whenever and wherever they can. For some Americans, and some that tend to be very vocal, this caused them to cower, and they would like to have peace at any price. This is certainly not the general consensus or general mood of Americans. It did make America feel more like fighting than anything has for fifty years.
I am a Christian with a resolve to “die daily.” I have therefore resolved to not let fear control what I do or even what I think about others. I know that whether I live or die I am the Lord’s, so I think I have a much greater peace about traveling than others. Even so, Americans cannot help but to be far more conscious of enemies and threats than those from possibly any other nation but Israel. This helps to impart certain paranoia, and a tendency to react to things much more strongly than we might have before this.
For or Against
President Bush once stated that this war would reveal who our true friends are, and who our enemies are. As an American I have been deeply appreciative of the British, Australians, Italians, and other nations who have stood with us in this conflict. I could also understand why other nations could not support us. However, I also confess to being deeply disappointed and disturbed by the behavior of some nations that we have always considered our friends and allies, especially the French and Germans. Even though it may be abating some, I think there has been severe damage to the relations between America and these countries which will have long-term consequences that we should understand.
This is not to imply that to be a friend of America you have to agree with us on everything, or support us. There must be a place where countries can remain neutral, and still be friends, or even oppose us in a matter and still be not only friends, but good friends. A good friend will tell you when they think you are wrong. However, it did seem that the way that both the French and Germans set about to oppose American on its determination to disarm Iraq crossed a line that true friends would never cross.
Russia’s opposition to America in this issue was understandable, and even expected. It might have even seemed that Russia’s opposition was so relatively mild after what we have been accustomed to in the Cold War that it inferred that they were not against it, at least not against us that much. Russian opposition was therefore not damaging, but just was not as friendly as Americans seem to really want with Russia, not only in this war on terror, but in general. An increasing unity between Russia and the United States could do much to stabilize the world. However, there is certainly more that the United States could do to reach out to Russia in her conflicts as well.
I personally pray that United States relations with France and Germany not be permanently damaged beyond repair, though the indications are strong that this is the case. I even heard some antiwar protestors jokingly say that we should not be going to war with Iraq because we should be going to war with France. They were joking of course, but it showed that even those so vehemently opposed to the war with Iraq were hurt by France’s behavior in this matter.
It did seem that France’s leaders were a little more aggressive in their opposition, and at times could not help but to appear to Americans as unnecessarily insulting, than any true friend would be. I think this hurt a little more than it would have coming from another nation because Americans have traditionally so esteemed the French. We know we could not have won the Revolutionary War without their help. Because of this, many Americans considered it their duty to help France during the previous World Wars, and considered it an honor that this could help them. Americans have always tended to look at the French like an older brother. Older brothers do not always treat you well, but they are your brother, and you even dream about being able to help them in a way that gains their respect because you do look up to them. I am quite sure that has been forever changed in the way Americans will now view the French.
As a Christian who is called to have a ministry of reconciliation I have resolved to never give up on another person, much less another nation, and so I must remain open to any kind of restoration of the relationship. Even so, trust, by its very nature, does have to be earned. I think it will take much more than the French or Germans are willing to give to re-earn the trust of Americans. I feel that this will have some very long-term, very negative consequences for all three countries.
Our home base is Charlotte, North Carolina which was named after the German queen, Charlotte. Charlotte is in Mecklenburg County which was named after the German Duke of Mecklenburg. There are more German owned businesses in Charlotte than from any other nation (more than 150). I have a 1998 BMW that I have been trying to sell for months, have dropped the price far below bluebook market, and have only received two calls on it. I advertised it nationally on the Internet and received no calls. I still hear people saying that they do not want to buy anything French or German.
I know American businessmen who were so offended by the Canadian government officials’ statements about the United States that they vowed they would only do business with the Canadians if they absolutely had to. These business people were not necessarily for the war in Iraq, but they were deeply offended by the Canadian government. I have had many Canadians apologize to me for their own government, which I appreciated, but few Americans have had this, and remain deeply offended.
It is obvious that many American business leaders did make a very subtle, but real, shift in their thinking away from our traditional trading partners, and even our neighbors, and are now looking more to Asia. I am not saying this is right, but it is true. I am thankful that our government did not become more reactionary than it did. They can help steer the population back toward our neighbors and traditional friends, which many Americans do feel betrayed by.
Again, I think we must always respect the right of our friends to disagree with us. They should be able to raise and vote on U.N. resolutions that are against our policies. True friends should always be free to disagree. It was the way it was done, which seemed to many quite blatantly anti-American, not just anti-American policy. Some even seemed to at least appear to side with the enemies of America. This feeling will not be quickly changed in America, and is causing many Americans to move toward isolationism, which is not in anyone’s best interests.
Even though Americans are resolved to not let fear rule them, it is reality that at least some paranoia entered the American consciousness, and behavior on September 11. It is now coloring our worldview in a way that it would probably be hard for others to understand, and that is why I am calling this “an American perspective.” I am not sharing this to change other people’s views on issues, but, if possible, at least help them understand how Americans now feel, and what is also affecting our actions.
Though I have always been treated very warmly by those who know me in every country I have traveled, I have not always been treated well by those who did not know me, and only recognized me as “an American.” This has been much worse in countries which have traditionally been our friends. I wondered if there is something about me personally that is offensive, which I certainly do not want to be as a representative of my country, but even more as being a Christian. I do not want to be unnecessarily offensive to those who may be caused to stumble. However, I have come to the conclusion that I am being treated rudely in these countries mostly for just being an American. If this is happening to other Americans traveling abroad, who are already at least a bit concerned about their safety, it is bound to have consequences which are not good for anyone.
In countries that have not traditionally been friends of America I seem to get treated much better for being an American. I also feel much safer, even though I sometimes recognize government spies who are watching me. Even though I try not to be influenced by any of these things as to where I go, I confess to feeling some dread when I know I must go back to certain countries. I would think that this type of thing is having even a greater impact on business people.
On Iraq
As I wrote previously, in this world nothing is perfect, and to expect perfection in anything here is to live a serious delusion, not to mention perpetual frustration and disappointment. Sometimes the very best solution to issues here are just a little better than the worst solutions. Even when you take the best course, and execute it as well as it can be done, there will still be very bad, and very messy, consequences. This world, and especially human politics, are very messy and confused even when they are at their very best.
Do I think America and its allies did the right thing by going to war with Iraq? I think they did the only thing that could be done. Why? Basically because Saddam Hussein considered himself a modern heir to the legacy of Nebuchadnezzar. This is a well-known fact. He believed that he had a destiny like Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the nation of Israel. There was an abundance of evidence that he was at least in pursuit of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and it is extremely unlikely that he did not have them. It is likely that if America and its allies had not attacked Iraq, then Israel would have, and the mess would be even much greater now.
So where are the WMD’s if this was the case? This is the really scary part. Anyone who can do the math knows that WMD’s were there. Iraq only had one basic export, oil, yet obviously had a huge source of income beyond what the U.N. sanctions allowed even considering its black market exports of oil. That money was pouring into the country in exchange for something others obviously considered very valuable. Nothing but WMD’s even makes sense. I pray that we do find the WMD’s in Iraq, but it is very likely that they left the country before the United States and its allies invaded.
Saddam Hussein may not be a very good military strategist, but he is a brilliant man, far smarter and far more deceptive and devious than even our government gave him credit for. I also personally do not believe he was as cruel as he has been made out to be. I believe his sons were, as were others around him, and he allowed it, so he is therefore just as guilty. Even so, there are other despots that were even far worse than him, such as Stalin, that we have been allies with. There are ruthless leaders presently that we are still dealing with. There is some hypocrisy here on the part of our foreign policy that does need to be seen, but I do think that Saddam was a very real threat to the world just as he has been portrayed. Even so, we may not find the WMD’s in Iraq, and that would be a very scary scenario.
Was President Bush the perfect leader for us at this time? No. Such a leader does not exist. However, I am personally very thankful that at the time this crisis arose, our nation was led by a man with the courage and resolve to do what had to be done. It is foolish and naive to expect any leadership in this world to be perfect. But in my opinion the leadership provided before the war, during and since the war, has been remarkable and extraordinary in the face of the problems that had to be, and are being confronted.
I do not see war leadership as being either a Republican or Democratic issue. Some of our greatest war leaders in the past have been both Democrats and Republicans. This is not about politics. Even so, I am personally deeply troubled that some who are now seeking the Presidency are doing this at what seems to be the expense of not only our national interests, but even our national security. In my opinion this is being done by some in a way that goes far beyond an honorable debate on policy, and not only encourages our enemies, but also threatens the lives of our troops that are on the front line of this war.
As an American traveling abroad, I have also been deeply grieved, shocked, and ashamed at some of America’s own media’s coverage of events. Their ways are not only distorted to the degree of being biased but deceptive, giving both aid and comfort to our enemies, not to mention causing many of our friends to turn from us too.
A friend of mine who is a producer of documentaries called me one day after he had passed an anti-war demonstration in one of the largest cities in America. He was shocked by how small it was. He was also shocked by how it was portrayed on the news as massive. He, knowing how to use camera angles, saw what they had done and was very disturbed. Those watching the news at home or abroad were given a very different picture from what was in fact the truth. The shocking thing is that Americans are doing this to America, which makes it even more believable to those who see it abroad.
Even so, this helps me to understand why those from other nations, who see this kind of thing from the American media, would tend to believe it even more. Presently, some of the terrorists’ greatest allies against America are in the American media. As Christians, we must learn to get our understanding from a higher Source than the secular media.
The Best Thing That Can Now Happen
What I am about to write I have written before, and I confess to having no joy in saying it again. The best thing that can happen for the long term is for America and our allies to suffer casualties over a long period and not run, but rather increase our resolve and endurance. We suffered the attacks on September 11 because of previous times that we suffered some casualties and fled, such as Beirut, and Somalia.
The reason why it is the goal of the extremists to kill Americans is because of the perception that has been established that all you have to do is kill a few Americans and they will flee. If this perception is not changed, we will never be at peace again. The only way it is going to be changed is for us to prove our resolve and endurance in the face of tragedy, hardship, and losses.
I personally agree that we should learn from Vietnam, but the lessons are not what many are now trying to apply them to. Vietnam is far different from what we are now involved in. I personally do not think the United States should have ever been involved in Vietnam, but once we were, the biggest lesson we can now learn from that debacle is if we are going to fight a war, we had better fight to win. The United States could have easily won the Vietnam War, and should have won once we were involved. Not only would we have probably lost fewer men and women in Vietnam had we fought it to win, but we probably would not be in the conflict that we are in now either.
If we are going to fight the war on terrorism, we must determine we are going to do whatever it takes to win. To win the war against terrorism we must demonstrate the fact that terrorism will never be allowed to win, and that the use of it automatically makes any cause invalid and an enemy of civilization.
One helpful thing that can happen with the present situation in Iraq is to draw in the enemy and make this a front line in the war on terrorism. The enemy is now concentrating in a relatively small triangle of the country, which at some point can be surrounded and cut off. The only thing which will draw them in is apparent successes against the Americans and our allies, which is now happening. The loss of any life is tragic, but we must not waste those losses, but rather determine that every one of them will be a price paid which helped bring the ultimate victory. If the United States and her allies come away from Iraq with anything less than a very clear victory, the world will be a much more terrible place to live.
There are going to be casualties in this war for a very long time, and we need to accept this as the price that we simply have to pay. The best solution is still going to be hard, but we are in a very real war that is ultimately even more dangerous than what we faced from communism. If we do not fight in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places, we will be fighting more on our own territory. We can expect this to happen some anyway, and it can get far worse than it has been, but it would be far worse than that if we retreat from the fight abroad.
The Goal
Any war needs to have a goal, a conclusion, after which victory and defeat can be clearly defined. Without this the war will go on. Presently, the terrorists are being defeated, but they have not yet been defeated. We can expect many future tragedies, but they have been severely hurt by the aggressive response of America and her allies. The worst thing that could happen is for the United States to withdraw before the war is truly won. That will only make the next conflict even more costly and the next one after that even greater, until the war is fought to be won. This will not go away until there is a victory.
To date there is no case in history where terrorism has won. It has in every case galvanized its opponents. Nations that suffer the subhuman outrages of terrorism have awakened, and unified against this cruel and cowardly enemy. Woe to the world if it ever lets fear gain such a victory. If that happens it will grow fast, and the consequences more terrible than we want to imagine.
Getting More Personal
I watched with great interest the debate on whether the United States would give the tens of billions of dollars to help rebuild Iraq instead of making it a loan. I was amazed that we made it a gift instead of a loan. I am thankful to be from a country that has treated its defeated enemies with not only respect and dignity, but also with a genuine desire to see them rebuilt and become better than ever. This devotion seems to be unique in history, and that it is genuine has been proven by how we have shared our own resources to make it happen.
Even from my biased perspective, it does seem that America is the most generous and benevolent nation on earth. As a student of history, it seems that it may be the most generous, benevolent nation that has ever existed. I am glad we have not boasted about this much, but it does seem to be true. This makes me more thankful to be an American than anything else. We are far from perfect, and have done very poorly at times, but in this cruel, confused, selfish world that we now live in, I cannot fathom what it would now be like if America did not exist.
As stated, because I am an American I know that my perspective on America and Americans, can obviously be distorted. Americans are also so diverse that any attempt to really define us will be at least to some degree inaccurate. Even so, in general, I do not think Americans want to be either isolated or hold grudges. If we must fight the fight that we are in alone, I think we would do it, but it sure does help to have friends.
I travel quite extensively and know how popular it is in many countries to be anti-American. Certainly we do have many flaws, and don’t want to gloss over them. Even so, as an American I think we have handled the power that we have much better than maybe anyone has given us credit for. I think all Americans esteem those who have stood up to be friends in these times more than ever. I do think our President prophesied when he said in effect that this war on terrorism would reveal our true friends, and our true enemies.
I know we are now in a war that we simply cannot lose. It is one that if we do not keep the initiative in we will certainly pay a terrible price. I also hope we can go beyond revealing who our friends and enemies are and turn some enemies into friends. I also pray that we can rise to the ultimate virtue of loving even our enemies, and treat even them as well as we can, after they are completely defeated.
The Victory
Please understand that I am not claiming any of the above is a divine or prophetic perspective. It is just my opinion and my feelings, which I am sharing not to convince anyone about policy, but just for the sake of possibly helping to impart some understanding. If you sensed some hurt or some resentment in this, I confess it is there, and do want to get over it as quickly as I can. For this reason I would deeply appreciate your prayers for me, but even more so for my country and my countrymen, many of whom I feel share my own perspective in these matters.
Also, I want to leave you with some hope about all of these matters. But even more so, in that which is the greatest hope of all humanity—the coming of the kingdom of God to earth. It is coming. All that is happening is preparing the way for it, even as confusing and tragic as events may seem for a time.
The Middle East was the birthplace of civilization, and it is going to be the rebirth place of civilization. This is not going to just come through Israel, though Israel is crucial to the preparation of the world for the age to come. It is also important for us to understand the most wonderful contribution to this, which is what other Middle Eastern nations are going to make along with Israel, as the Scripture makes clear in Isaiah 19:19-25:
In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord near its border.
And it will become a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them.
Thus the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the Lord and perform it.
And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the Lord, and He will respond to them and will heal them.
In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.
In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth,
whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed is
My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance."
Assyria includes all of the nations from Egypt to Iran. We know that this has never happened, so it must come to pass. This is the rebirth of a new civilization that is a precursor to the rebirth of the earth into the kingdom age when our King takes His authority over all nations.
There will yet be more darkness before the dawn, but the dawn will certainly come for all nations. In this we have a hope that is greater than any nation, even America. Until then, I am thankful that there is an America, and I am thankful to be an American, but my hope is in an even greater kingdom that will certainly come.
