Unless you’ve been a total recluse for the past six months, you know today is the deadline by which Saddam Hussein was told he must pull his forces out of occupied Kuwait.

The U.N. security council has given him until midnight tonight (E.T.) to withdraw from the country he ruthlessly invaded in early August.

There has been a great deal of debate as to whether or not the U.S. military should participate in a war to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

The greatest argument against such action is the United States is there only to protect our oil interests. The other argument is the situation doesn’t concern us that much so let someone else deal with it.

The arguments are good except for two major oversights. One oversight is that we, as well as the rest of the world, are too dependent on oil to allow a country like Iraq to control the most oil-rich region in the world.

The second oversight is Hussein is a bloodthirsty tyrant who thinks nothing of slaughtering 10,000 of his own people. Given the opportunity, he will continue his attacks throughout the region with a total disregard for his victims.

There is no doubt that oil is a major concern in the crisis. What is wrong with protecting the world’s oil interests? Like it or not, oil is too much a part of our everyday lives to be able to go without.

Don’t believe me? Here are a few things that require oil in their manufacture: plastic, make-up (uh oh) and even some types of clothes.

Not enough? No problem; nearly everything we use, eat or wear is made by machines. Whether the machines are powered by electricity or fuel, they require oil for either lubrication, power or both.

Here’s some suggestions for those of you who protest U.S. participation in the Gulf crisis: don’t wear clothes unless they are produced naturally and handmade, don’t wear make-up (ouch) and, of course, driving that oil-dependent car is completely out of the question. Doesn’t leave you with very much does it?

Now let’s discuss the man of the hour, Saddam Hussein. Here’s a real humanitarian.

One morning he decides Kuwait rightfully belongs to him so he invades the nearly defenseless country, ousts the existing government and proceeds to commit countless atrocities on the Kuwaiti people.

People argue the invasion is no concern of ours because Kuwait only supplies us with a small percentage of our oil, and maybe he’ll just stop there anyway.

Do you honestly think he would stop with Kuwait? Wake up to reality folks: this guy’s “master plan” (to coin a familiar phrase) is Iraqi control of the entire Gulf region.

A plan such as this does not come about from a passive takeover. People have died and a lot more will die if Hussein is allowed to continue.

Not many people like the idea of war. Even one death is one too many. Unfortunately madmen like Hussein make it necessary. Let’s all hope and/or pray he will pull out peacefully. If he doesn’t, let’s hope the war is short and casualties are few.

Be good.