A letter to the London Observer from Terry Jones (yes, of Monty Python)

"Let's make one thing very clear here. This war belongs to several groups. It belongs to the cable news 'journalists' who have absolutely gone above and beyond the call of duty to sell this war to the American people.

When asked to obfuscate the reality of Iraq by calling this an attack on Saddam Hussein, thus making it easier for average people to forget about the blood and intestines that are about to be splattered on a number of walls and streets, they do the work of the few conservative extremists who have, through a nightmarish run of luck and money, taken control of our government. Iraq is inhabited by 24 million people just like you. A lot of them will see their last dawn soon. We're attacking Saddam, though, so forget all that.

When asked to investigate who is pushing this war and why – when asked, essentially, to follow the oldest journalistic rule in the book and follow the money – they shrug their shoulders and mutter "Conspiracy theory." That's fine. Here is another theory for you TV 'journalists: You are damned. Not just by me, or by the billions worldwide who see this rape for what it is. God sees you, and knows your names.

This war belongs to Richard Perle, Don Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, John Bolton, Dick Cheney and all the fellows from the Project for a New American Century. Again, if you have not yet clicked the links above, go ahead. I'll wait.

Welcome to the American Empire. Don't be surprised that your rights and privileges have changed all of a sudden. We used to be a constitutional democracy. That's pretty much done now. You're a citizen of an empire today, one that attacks sovereign nations without cause, with the backing of such international heavyweights as Spain and Eritrea. You're not a citizen. You're a customer. Take a number and get in line.

Above all, and amusingly enough, this war belongs first and foremost to George W. Bush. Mr. Bush ran a number of oil companies straight into the ground before becoming the constitutionally castrated governor of Texas. From thence to our current greatness, it seems. This has been his party since July, but few were truly interested in attending. 160 nations want nothing to do with this attack, and eleven of the fifteen United Nations Security Council vote-counters told him to go pound sand, despite a month-long bribery campaign that would have made John Gotti blush with envy.

The inevitable terrorist attacks upon our wholly unprepared shores are also, by the way, the sole property of Mr. Bush. The aftereffects of this attack on Iraq, which will effect your children's children, are also the sole property of Mr. Bush.

I hate to delve into semantics on such a bucolic evening, but there is an aspect of this whole situation which needs clearing up. "War" is a violent engagement between nations. "Attack" is something that happens when one person, nation or group sets about to beat the Jesus out of another person, nation or group. This is not a war. This is an attack. Iraq does not have, and – were the inspectors allowed to complete the job given to them by Resolution 1441 – would never have the ability to attack America, either on their own or by proxy.

America is not making war on Iraq. We are attacking a nation of 24 million people. Some will tell you that this is the first time a democracy has instigated a war. This is wrong. Military empires have reached out to crush other peoples and nations since time out of mind. Silly you, for thinking this was a constitutional democracy.

This is Mr. Bush's war, which is in truth an attack. He can have it. The rest of us need to make sure that we use those constitutional freedoms to the best of our ability before they dry up completely."

Today I weep for my country. I have watched the events of recent months with a heavy, heavy heart. No more is the image of America one of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. The image of America has changed. Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned.

Instead of reasoning with those with whom we disagree, we demand obedience or threaten recrimination. Instead of isolating Saddam Hussein, we seem to have isolated ourselves. We proclaim a new doctrine of preemption which is understood by few and feared by many. We say that the United States has the right to turn its firepower on any corner of the globe which might be suspect in the war on terrorism. We assert that right without the sanction of any international body. As a result, the world has become a much more dangerous place.
- Senator Robert Byrd

The United States is indeed a mighty country. But its real strength resides in its proud history of standing for what is just. In figures such as Martin Luther King, the world draws moral fortitude and an example of the effectiveness of non-violent struggle. With the grassroots boycotting efforts of everyday Americans, and the eventual diplomatic pressure of their government, South African apartheid was ended. The prison doors would still be shut around Nelson Mandela were it not for the help of the United States.

These traditions have spoken recently on the streets. Never has there been such a popular and peaceful outpouring of opposition, even before the act war has taken place. This is truly the moral meaning of preemption.
- Desmond Tutu and Ian Urbina

As a Christian and as a president who was severely provoked by international crises, I became thoroughly familiar with the principles of a just war, and it is clear that a substantially unilateral attack on Iraq does not meet these standards. This is an almost universal conviction of religious leaders, with the most notable exception of a few spokesmen of the Southern Baptist Convention who are greatly influenced by their commitment to Israel based on eschatological, or final days, theology.

For a war to be just, it must meet several clearly defined criteria.
- Jimmy Carter

The children in Iraq are already in sorrowful shape. The last thing in the world they need is another war. More than half the population of Iraq is under the age of 18, and those youngsters are living in an environment that has been poisoned by the Iran-Iraq war, the first gulf war and long years of debilitating sanctions.

One out of every eight Iraqi children dies before the age of 5. One-fourth are born underweight. One-fourth of those who should be in school are not. One-fourth do not have access to safe water.

This generational catastrophe is the fault of Saddam Hussein, no question. But those who favor war should at least realize that the terrain to be invaded by the most fearsome military machine in history is populated mostly by children who are already suffering.
- Bob Herbert, New York Times

How do the White House and State Department plan to pay for a post-Saddam occupation and reconstruction?

The answer to all of these questions is oil, of course. Oil obviously drives U.S. policy in the Middle East. So who can doubt that this war in Iraq concerns oil?

Meanwhile, the justifications the Administration has made for this war can be rather easily dismissed. Contrary to Administration assertions, a war against Iraq will not be in self-defense: Iraq does not pose an imminent threat to the United States. It doesn't have the ability, nor has it ever had the ability, to shoot a missile or send a bomber to harm America. Iraq does not possess nuclear weapons. Furthermore, there is no credible evidence that Iraq had anything to do with the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
- Rep. Dennis Kucinich

This nation is about to embark upon the first test of a revolutionary doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The doctrine of preemption -- the idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently threatening but may be threatening in the future -- is a radical new twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of international law and the UN Charter.
- Senator Robert Byrd

The hawks despise the U.N. and if they'd gotten its support, they never would have been able to establish the principle that the U.S. can act wherever and whenever it wants to — a Lone Ranger, no Tontos.

Cheney, Rummy, Wolfy, etc. never wanted Colin Powell to find a diplomatic solution. They hate diplomatic solutions. That's why they gleefully junked so many international treaties, multilateral exercises and trans-Atlantic engagements.
- Maureen Dowd, New York Times