NATCHEZ &045; While they hate to see war with Iraq begin, most Miss-Lou residents interviewed Thursday said they believe the conflict is necessary and are willing to support our troops.

The escalating conflict was the main topic of the day during lunch Thursday at many businesses, including The Mane Event hair salon, where Glen Mizell was getting his hair cut.

&uot;This guy (Saddam) is unbelievable, to kill his own people,&uot; Mizell said. &uot;He was told to stop building nuclear weapons, and he wouldn’t.

We’re just trying to better that country for the Iraqi people. We need to finish what we started and get those people out of there.&uot;

His stylist, Jerry Walker, said he also believes war is necessary &045; and, according to the Bible, inevitable.

&uot;Terrorism will always be here,&uot; Walker said. &uot;And as a fundamentalist Christian, I believe it will get worse before it gets better.&uot;

&uot;It had to be done,&uot; Larry Wilson said.

&uot;He (Saddam) just wouldn’t give up.&uot;

James Nelson, who works at the Isle of Capri Casino, said he saw the first moments of the war on a television set in the casino’s break room.

&uot;My heart goes out to the soldiers,&uot; Nelson said. &uot;The only thing is, I’m scared that Saddam is going to use the nuke he’s got.&uot;

Nelson said he wishes there was a way to avoid war, but he doubts it.

&uot;I wish Saddam would have cooperated. But he (Bush) has got to do his job,&uot; Nelson said. &uot;Even Bush said he didn’t want to go to war. We didn’t want to have Sept. 11, either.

&uot;If he (Saddam) would have disarmed, this would not have happened,&uot; he said.

Gene Williams also mentioned the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks.

&uot;I agree with everything we’re doing now, Š because I don’t agree with what they did Sept. 11,&uot; Williams said. &uot;If we’d have gotten him (Saddam) in ’91, the (bombing of the Trade Center) towers wouldn’t have happened.&uot;

He, like fellow Natchez resident Brenda Jones, had been watching television news and listening to radio reports Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

&uot;I’m glad we’re doing it (the military action), but let’s get it over with fast,&uot; Jones said.

Lamar Braxton agreed, saying that &uot;I hope that whatever happens, it happens real soon.&uot;

&uot;I wish our soldiers well. I hope they return safely,&uot; Braxton said. &uot;And my prayers go out to the folks in Iraq.&uot;

&uot;All we can do is pray,&uot; Mary Davis noted. &uot;That’s all I can say.&uot;

And support the troops, said Renee Wisner, taking a short break from her job at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

&uot;One of my neighbors Š put a yellow ribbon on my oak tree this morning,&uot; Wisner said. &uot;The wind blew it off &045; but I’m going to put it back.

&uot;I’m scared, yeah,&uot; she said. But, she added, in a time of war, &uot;we need to be in unison.&uot;