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This guest editorial has been written by Aarohee Sharma who is visiting United States from India.

Finally it is wartime again. In his three years of presidency, President George Bush has a unique distinction of waging two wars already. According to the sources in Pentagon and White House, war on Iraq will be the mother of all wars, where mother of all bombs will ensure mother of all destruction. If it were not for my family, my country and my planet I would probably open a can of coke and munch popcorn and watch the drama unfold. Unfortunately, as I watch embedded reporters on CNN and bite my nails, I realize that while this war is thousands of miles away from me the aftermath will be closer than ever.

We are in a world where moral or immoral is no longer the parameter to judge people or their actions. This is a world where good or bad are no longer relevant questions. This is a world where it has been proven that might is right. There is no doubt in my mind or anyone’s mind that Saddam Hussein is a ruthless dictator who has used chemical weapons before and his regime is responsible for most heinous crimes known. Security Council members and the entire UN understand this. However no one approved the use of force because violence can never be an answer to violence. Violence will beget yet more violence and there will be no end to this as is clear by the Israel-Palestinian situation where violence has only bred violence without any solution. Those who say that diplomacy has failed and every other option was exercised need to know that the diplomacy failed because United States never wished the diplomacy to win in the first place. Messrs Rumsfeld and vice president Cheney e nsured that diplomacy ends in a dead lock and gives them a pretext to invade Iraq.

Yes, Saddam Hussein needs to be removed and democracy should spread not only to Iraq but also to every country in the world. Massive bombings and "Shock and awe" strategy is not how you spread democracy to the world. By killing and maiming Innocent people we ensure that we spread more and more hatred and in turn more and more jehadis. I will not be least bit surprised that the terror grows immensely after this war. This war will no doubt ensure that Americans get their oil wells but if they think that they will curb the terrorists they couldn’t be further than the truth.

As I write this I worry for the future of the world. United States of America has no doubt emerged as the superpower after the cold war and disintegration of Soviet Union. But the sole superpower status has corrupted them. I can see the truth being suppressed and new rules being written. America is trying to write new rules and is expecting the world to do what it tells them.

I hope America uses its power wisely and stops bullying people around. There is a lot that is wrong with the world and countries around the world but it is for the people to determine their own leaders and governments. Outsiders can never ensure peace and stability. They can only ensure puppet regimes and mock democracies.

Till we connect again...

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