The use of ground forces was much abandoned as the result of massive objections to the Vietnam war.

It necessitated that a war could only be fought with the people’s permission, must be short, with no media visuals of casualties or uncensored reports.

Only as long as massive protests occur, extensive battlefield casualties will be avoided.

Ground troops are an outmoded technique for winning a war when U.S. high-firepower, carpet bombing of Iraq is used, and bombardier pilots conduct “turkey shoots.”

Many pilots aim directly: others target by missiles several miles away.

Likewise, our Gulf war carpet bombing or use of bombers, fuel air explosives and napalm is also outmoded on both civilians and environment.

This is considering carpet bombing destroys whole areas of civilians.

And the bombings are too damaging for the risk involved to both future hypothetical enemies and the possibility of an enemy’s retaliation to our civilians.

This outmodes the use of high-technology bombers using either conventional or nuclear bombs, some of which can be hid in a backpack.

Also the United States is trigger-happy, being it rejects diplomacy.

In our U.S. declared Gulf war, the dubious, first claim for deploying 300,000 troops to Saudi Arabia was rescuing a Saudi kingdom from an Iraqi invasion.

The deployment of 300,000 American ground forces there meant people and our Congress would save Mr. Bush’s “face” and thus not withdraw from another war.

Such placement of our ground troops plunged us into the Gulf war. This White House intimidation got Congressional agreement by the closest vote in our history.

The many protests against war split our congress, voting 247-183. Other wars had just one opposition.

The use of high-tech war or conventional bombs with firepower equal to nuclear Hiroshima bombs, is outmoded.

War does not protect us. Many wars favor the wrong side. Saudi and Kuwaiti kings have slavery, including Saudi crucifixions.

Four percent of men, of non-democratic Kuwait may vote. War to uphold Saudi proved war is outmoded, unjust. Choose diplomacy.

Bernice Russell

Alumna

Economics