Opinion: Taking away water supplies will only turn good intentions into war crimes

By Rudy Taylor

Taylor Newspapers

What kind of American leaders would order desalination and energy plants to be obliterated?

Such language is being thrown about by the White House as the war in Iran continues to escalate beyond what anyone thought possible when American and Israeli attacks started four weeks ago.

It is totally understandable that key military sites including nuclear and missile plants, will be targets of bombing and strafing.

But President Trump is worrisome as he makes inane comments such as, “Actually I kinda like war.”

Generals, admirals and all ranks of fighters don’t like war. We are fortunate to have our American military doing the attacking and defending along Iran’s border. But for any politician to pound his chest and speak about doing away with the water supply for 90 million Iranians is sounding like a war crime.

Due to water scarcity, Iran relies largely upon desalination plants which convert ocean water to fresh supplies for human and animal consumption.

The U.S.A. has never poisoned any country’s water supply, nor blown up its systems for distribution. That’s because we are a compassionate nation, always remembering that any nation is still made up of innocent souls. 

Only top level leaders are corrupt in Iran, North Korea or Russia.

Others are pawns, subjected to government pressure and kept down in society in fear that families will be slain or imprisoned.

Their water is vital to living.

Their energy plants are needed to keep lights on, heaters running and cook stoves working.

“Obliterating” their sources of energy and water are not a part of warfare, at least in the America we know and love.

It would do everyone good to read the words spoken and written recently by Pope Leo.

“God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war,” the Pope avowed.

And he condemned the use of religion to justify the war in Iran.

Somewhere there surely is a balance between the harsh words of arrogant leaders and the pacifist views of a Catholic pope. But we know whose views were spoken in love, and which ones were spewed in displays of power.

Threats to obliterate anything — let alone a country’s water supply — should not be in the quiver of decent leaders. Our words, actions and orders to our military must always be tempered with national integrity.

The citizens and children of Iran, and the men and women in our American military, deserve the best we can deliver as we stand our ground in the Mideast.

But we do not commit war crimes.

Americans should stand up and roar against any such notions.