It finally happened — American deaths in Iraq have reached1,000.

The question is, how many more are going to end up inflag-draped coffins before someone from this administration or fromits Democratic opponent’s campaign admits they both werewrong to support the action that led to these events?

These men and women are not abstract numbers.

I’m sure many on this campus know at least one person whois serving over in Iraq. They are our friends, relatives, the kidswe said hello to in the hallways at high school and worked withduring our summer jobs.

Now 1,000 of them are gone.

For what?

As near as I can figure, cutting through the reams ofneoconservativism — a idea that for the sake of ourgeneration ought to be consigned to the dustbin of failedideologies such as Maoism and Fascism — these thousand diedto protect the United States against non-existent weapons of massdestruction and a nation with a military so demoralized they put upbarely a month’s worth of resistance in the traditionalsense.

We now have over 100,000 soldiers sitting in the middle of afestering boil of religious and ethnic hatred, despised on nearlyall sides by a restive population that — while by in largeprobably is grateful for the removal of the Baathist regime —is also intensely anti-American.

Who then can we thank for this wonderful situation ofmulticultural enrichment?

At least the most prominent individuals are — andI’m sure you’re as shocked as I am — PresidentGeorge W. Bush and Democratic presidential nominee John F.Kerry.

Indeed, the choice this November is really between two men whoseposition on the war — at least as to continuing the fight— is little different than Humphrey and Nixon’s in 1968during Vietnam.

Actually, when you look at it, the real choice between the twomay come down to who is more likely to widen the war.

Kerry has made it clear — in perhaps the most boneheadedmove in his campaign, leading some on the left to wonder if he isdeliberately trying to lose — he still would support going towar with the information available today, information that showsIraq was just as much of a threat to the United States asUruguay.

Bush may well bring about a wider war, especially if Irancontinues with production of their nuclear deterrent — a wisemove for them given the fate of their neighbor to thesouthwest.

A frightening scenario in which the United States becomesinvolved in a colossal blood bath in the Middle East was laid outin this month’s issue of The American Conservative by ClaudeSalhani, the foreign editor of United Press International.

Salhani argues if Israel does to Iran what it did to Iraq in1981 — bombing their nuclear reactor — all hell wouldbreak lose, engulfing U.S. soldiers in Iraq in a multi-state warwith terrorist attacks, multi-state invasions and Israeli andPakistani nukes flying left and right.

Even if none of that comes to pass an even greater issue lies inthe awning over the next four years — the return of themilitary draft.

While neither campaign will openly admit they favor this, if thewar expands to Iran or Syria, due either to our actions or theirs,I believe it is safe to say a draft would be needed to supply theUnited States military with the soldiery for a region wide war.

These, my fellow students, are the stakes.

Where are all those now who whooped for war?

How many students who not only favored the war from thebeginning but actively argued Saddam Hussein’s Iraq was aclear and present danger to the United States — and calledthose who didn’t believe it fools and traitors — arewilling to stand now and repeat those phrases?

I look forward to your kind responses in letters to theeditor.

In the end though, beyond all arguments and partisanship, thiswar has now killed over 1,000 Americans and wounded almost 7,000more.

Thousands more families live with the anxious thoughts of theirloved ones fighting overseas in a war that seems to have lost allsense.

I offer them the only thing I can — my prayers.

But to those who sent their fellow Americans to die on a foolserrand, I offer only my cold contempt.

Our two presidential candidates ought to inspire nothing morefrom young voters than fear and loathing, for both men are nowapproaching war like the drunk in the bar who thinks he needs onemore beer to reach a place of peace.

The twisted wreckage of our foreign policy is not unlike thatdrunk’s car when he tries to drive home.

God help us.