For now, let me just address your last claim: “Don’t you realize that with Saddam Hussein out of power, it’s now easier for mission work to go on there?”

This is, unfortunately, not necessarily true. The plight of Christians has gotten much worse since the U.S. invasion. Certainly, Christians suffered under Hussein’s rule, but they were generally tolerated and allowed to worship freely.

Since the invasion, Islamic fundamentalism (non-existent under Hussein’s secular regime) has become much more prominent. Islamic extremists have targeted churches, liquor stores, and the Christian owners of such stores. They harass Christian women who don’t shroud themselves in black.

In an interview on CNN, Father Arkan Yako complained that the Kurds deny jobs to Christians unless they first join a Kurdish party. He said that Christians “are third or fourth class citizens in our own country.”

As a result, thousands of Christians have fled Iraq, despite the fact that Hussein is no longer in power.

There are hundreds of examples I could share . . for now, let this excerpt from an article in National Review suffice:

“On Tuesday, according to the Catholic press outlet, Fides, Islamic fanatics broke into a Chaldean Catholic home near Mosul and killed a ten-year-old boy while shouting, “We’ve come to exterminate you. This is the end for you Christians!” In prior weeks, ChaldoAssyrian workers were murdered for “collaborating” with the United States. Three others were kidnapped and beheaded. Christian girls were assaulted with acid for not wearing the veil. A Chaldean Catholic priest was forced at gunpoint in his church to convert to Islam. Christian homes were targeted by mortar attacks that killed and injured children sleeping in their beds.”

One last thing. If you were to familiarize yourself with the people I mentioned above, you would find that these are not people who capitulate to liberal caterwauling on any issue.

I also believe we must look at this from a humanitarian angle. Is it “more conservative” to condone rape, torture, and mass murder, all things we now know Saddam was guilty of? And did you know many of the people over there have electricity and running water (among other things) for the first time? Also, are you a Christian or just a “conservative”? Don’t you realize that with Saddam Hussein out of power, it’s now easier for mission work to go on there?

As for those conservatives you listed as now opposing the war effort, it wouldn’t be the first time that conservatives had capitulated to liberal caterwauling. It’s too late to express reservation now; pulling out right now would only make things worse.

Some of these conservatives include Pat Buchanan, Doug Bandow, Joe Sobran, Paul Schroeder, and Ron Paul (among others).

Not familiar with those names? You should be. ; )

Even William Buckley, who originally supported the war effort, has since publically expressed strong reservations about it.

It is extremely unfortunate that the “conservative” position today has become equated with pro-war fervor.

In a future article (perhaps as early as next issue) I hope to explain why opposing the war in Iraq is the truly conservative position while supporting it is, in fact, a much more liberal position.