Gen. Schwarzkopf

The fawning over Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf and the celebration of the deaths of tens of thousands of people, as most recently showcased by the general’s speech to Congress, is shocking (Part A, May 9).

Consider that in his speech to Congress Schwarzkopf boasted of the war’s few casualties, when in fact the war massacred more than 100,000 people. Apparently he does not consider Iraqis to be human casualties; a monstrous racist sentiment!

Before we canonize the general or pronounce his presence on Earth evidence of the Second Coming, consider a few other things about the “hero”:

He presided over a slaughter, not a war. He did not have an opponent. They were basically all killed or neutralized by the most intense and massive bombing assault in history, an assault that the U.N. has described as “apocalyptic.” Schwarzkopf’s greatest difficulty was in shepherding all the instant surrenders of forced conscripts who never had the will to fight. Most U.S. casualties were accidental or caused by “friendly fire.”

Worst of all, thousands of defenseless men were trapped and then strafed--human target practice!--while trying to retreat, with no chance to surrender. A horrible, cowardly act for which Schwarzkopf as commander must bear responsibility. This scandal created an outcry even in England, an enthusiastic partner in the Gulf slaughter. Schwarzkopf bragged in a televised interview that he wanted to mow down even more fleeing troops!

MARC WUTSCHKE, Los Angeles