Op-ed piece from USA Today by Zainab Al-Suwaij, the executive director of the American Islamic Congress, an organization dedicated to building tolerance and civil rights in America and the Muslim world. But what does he know?

As an American who was born and raised in Iraq, I am often asked, "Are you for the war on Iraq?"



My answer: I am for ending the war in Iraq — and that won't happen until Saddam Hussein goes.

I know the horrors of war all too well. In 1980, Saddam Hussein invaded Iran, beginning eight years of bombing raids on my hometown of Basra. In 1990, I left for Kuwait, only to witness Iraq's invasion in August. In 1991, I returned home and experienced both the allied bombing assault and the painfully short popular uprising against Saddam.

But I also know that freedom is possible. For one week in March 1991, I saw what it was like to live outside of Saddam's control. As Saddam withdrew from Kuwait, the first President Bush encouraged Iraqis to rise up. We did and, within a few days, liberated most of Iraq's 18 provinces. The secret police state collapsed, and we began to talk openly with our own families and our neighbors. Iraqis celebrated in the streets, freed Saddam's prisoners and volunteered in hospitals. But American help never came, Saddam regrouped, and his state of terror came crashing back down on us.

If the Iraqi people are to have any hope of again experiencing that exhilarating feeling of freedom, the United States needs to make certain that Saddam can no longer terrorize his own people. If America again fails to remove Saddam Hussein from power, the long-term suffering of my people will only continue.