Myths, Lies and the Aftermath of War in Iraq

Re “U.S. Suspects It Received False Iraq Arms Tips,” Aug. 28: The Bush administration continues to lie. First, that U.S. intelligence received faulty and misleading information to justify an attack against Iraq; perhaps this misinformation was skewed for political reasons. Second, Vice President Dick Cheney refuses to divulge information on how the administration developed its energy policy, a policy manipulated by energy lobbyists (Aug. 26). Third, national security advisor Condoleezza Rice attempts to compare postwar Nazi Germany with present-day postwar Iraq, only to be refuted by historians (“Postwar Iraq Is No Germany, Historians Say,” Aug. 27).

Fourth, the Environmental Protection Agency gives out a false report indicating that there was no mass dangerous pollution in New York after 9/11 (Aug. 23), which independent studies dispute. And fifth, after President Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq on May 1, U.S. soldiers continue to die in Iraq almost on a daily basis. Where do I sign up for the recall of the Bush administration?

Richard Nieto

Alhambra

Re “An Iraqi Family Tragedy,” photo, Aug. 28: The throwaway last line of the caption stated that 30 bodies come to Baghdad’s morgue every day for investigation. That’s roughly 1,000 violent deaths -- murders -- happening now each month just in Baghdad alone? Where has the reporting been on this Iraqi national disaster?

Sheldon Chad

Los Angeles

Re “Seized Iraq Funds All but Gone, U.S. Says,” Aug. 27: OK, how come I can’t figure this out? We invade Iraq, free the people, find lots of arms and money. We use the money to pay the people. OK so far, but now the money is almost gone. So why should Americans be asked to pay for rebuilding? Pump the oil, sell the oil, use the money to rebuild the country and pay the teachers, doctors, police, etc.

We should not be paying more when the government of Iraq can pay its own way. Get the new council members to meet more regularly, get them to start writing their constitution, get them and the imams on board to help with security and basic services. Then, once rebuilding is up and running, the constitution is in place and elections have gone forward -- get out.

Moira Cleary

Reseda

In his speech to the American Legion (Aug. 27), President Bush said “there will be no retreat” from Iraq. But who asked him to retreat? Virtually every Democrat and Republican, including those opposed to the war, has repeatedly called for inserting more troops quickly. It is the president who is stalling. Why does he attack a phantom criticism instead of addressing the issue directly? Is he trying to sell us another myth, as he did when he pushed us into war?

Ganesa Mahalingam

Monrovia