An Iraq Still at War Is No Place for the U.N.

Re “Death Takes No Holiday in Iraq,” Commentary, Dec. 2: President Bush risked his life to honor American valor and to pledge himself to stay the course in Iraq until the job of winning the peace and liberating the Iraqi people is done. His clear goal is to establish a historic first, a modern Arab state that can meld the best principles of democracy and Islam together, similar to Turkey or Malaysia. For Robert Scheer to then compare our soldiers’ mission in Iraq to that of medieval Christian “Crusaders” who killed Muslims to save their “souls” is a despicable lie.

It labels our fallen heroes, their slaughtered allies and fellow murdered international humanitarian workers as devils deserving their fate. It parrots the vile propaganda of the thugs and assassins who seek to resurrect the evil regime of Saddam Hussein or, worse, to subjugate the world under a barbaric, 7th century, Islamist theocracy led by Osama bin Laden. Whose side is this demented Bush-hater on?

Hyatt Seligman

Orange

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Iraq is no place to send the United Nations’ international peacekeeping force. There is no peace to keep in Iraq, a country still very much at war. Moreover, a major clash between Sunnis and Shiites is brewing; the launching of hostilities just awaits U.S. troop departure. The sad truth is that the right-wing ideologues have created a quagmire from which there is simply no way out. Get ready for another ugly Iraq war, with Iran as the big winner.

Francois Joly

Hull, Quebec, Canada

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With the exception of one word, “neoconservatives,” Scheer got it right about Bush, et al. Critics of Bush need to stop using words like “neoconservatives” and “neocons,” since no one knows what they mean. These people are radicals. And they are Republicans. So call them what they are: radical Republicans.

The Democrats need to get a simple theme for the next election. And find the right words to reinforce that theme. If a Democrat can’t describe the danger to America of radical Republicans like Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney, he or she doesn’t deserve to be elected.

James Freed

Santa Monica

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I’m tired of hearing about how our Flight-Suit-in-Chief was ready to turn around and go home if the enemy saw him sneaking into Iraq (“White House Clarifies Report About Air Force One Sighting,” Dec. 3). That is, unless he gives the same choice to the American forces he stationed there.

Tom Ogden

Hollywood