Tread Lightly in Victory and Be Wise in Rebuilding

It came as no surprise that many Iraqis, reflecting the sentiments of millions of their compatriots who have bitterly opposed Saddam Hussein for years, were shown cheering and celebrating the apparent downfall of the dictator. Nevertheless, we Americans must be very careful how we interpret these images.

They do not necessarily reflect how Iraqis really feel about the United States, in general, or about our invasion and occupation of their country. It is not too difficult to imagine similar scenes of jubilation in our very own streets in the case of a regime change right here at home.

Saif M. Hussain

Woodland Hills

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Iraqis dancing on the downed statue of Hussein. Iraqis cheering the American flag and soldiers. Iraqis smiling and celebrating. Whether or not they ever admit it, the peace activists were wrong, wrong. This war was moral and just. Highest praise and heartfelt thanks for our troops, especially their commander in chief. They are our true heroes!

Catherine Wirtz

Westlake Village

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To Donald Hirt (letter, April 10), who suggests that we “so-called” peace marchers eat crow: My belief that a peaceful resolution could have been reached remains intact. The liberating events seen on television and played over and over on the radio are tainted by all of the men, women and children who lost their lives during this illegal war -- American and Iraqi alike.

Every life that was extinguished since the beginning of this war was a life of hope and purpose that is now lost to the world forever. President Bush had no right to order these deaths and I will not praise him for doing so.

Charlie Fox

Rancho Palos Verdes

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The icon of the day was the Marines placing the U.S. flag over the face of the statue of Hussein in downtown Baghdad. Whether intentional or not, the flag was placed upside down, symbolizing, in my mind, the sacrifices made by coalition heroes to liberate Iraq. This image, to me, was almost as powerful as the Iwo Jima flag-raising. I am a proud Marine from the Vietnam era.

Jim White

Brea

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Now that Baghdad has fallen and “democracy” triumphs (although we’re cautiously told this war isn’t over yet), the great rebuilding of Iraq is supposed to begin. While not only a strong United Nations involvement but U.N. control of that process would certainly be my preference -- not that anyone in the world would ever doubt American intentions -- I can’t help but ask: If all this was to bring freedom and prosperity to the Iraqi people, why aren’t reconstruction contracts being awarded to them? They are the ones who built the country in the first place. They must have a few architects, engineers and building contractors over there. What possible motive could we (the U.S. or the U.N.) have in making sure the best the Iraqis get might be a few manual labor jobs?

Robert Arconti

Montclair

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Secretary-General Kofi Annan claims that giving the U.N. a hand in rebuilding Iraq would bring legitimacy to any government that rises from the ruins of battle (April 8). What legitimacy? The U.N. considers the most despotic country as the equal of the freest. What has the U.N. done to deserve a say in postwar efforts? For 12 years, it did nothing about Iraq but pass resolutions (which were, of course, ignored). Its participation in this war consists of interference with our efforts.

Coalition blood is freeing Iraq. American and English tax money is supporting the war. Under Annan’s theory, France should share in the credit for the results of the war and Libya should help decide the kind of government Iraq is to have.

Stephen Plafker

Culver City

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The Times is right to warn of the possibility that our (inevitable) victory in Iraq could portend a troublesome interventionist foreign policy (editorial, April 9). It is obvious our military is the most capable force in the world and that we have rid the world of one more evil dictator. Yet we have paid a high price in world relations -- not something we ought to take lightly.

It would be well to remember, come the next elections, that many of the people responsible for Hussein’s rise to power, and for his acquisition of the very weapons that we wanted to take away from him, are the very ones who started this war. We cannot go on this way forever. We are only creating new 9/11s.

Bob Loza

Burbank