Exaggerated Iraq Threat Has Led to Real Danger

Neta C. Crawford (Commentary, June 30) wrote, “It should come as no surprise that the Pentagon may have exaggerated the Iraqi threat.” She then goes on to list a long history of exaggerated estimates of enemy capabilities. It is an important list, and it helps to account for the billions and billions of dollars lost to unnecessary projects that all served to enrich segments of the vast American military-industrial complex.

Unfortunately, the commentary misses an opportunity to point out a significant difference between most of this country’s past sins of exaggeration and those recently committed by the Bush administration. The Bush lies have not simply resulted in needless military expense, they have led to death and destruction. Can anyone really deny that the Bush “exaggerations” led to an entirely preventable war, a diminished respect for the U.S. globally and the likelihood of increased terrorist threats for decades? President Bush’s lies have been exposed while there are still soldiers dying. How can anyone doubt that Bush should be impeached?

Jim Mamer

Modjeska Canyon

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How long do we have to pretend that the adventure in Iraq was a success? How many of our troops have to die before we eventually get out? The Iraqi people don’t want us as occupiers. They don’t want the style of government we are trying to foist on them and, let’s be honest, we would not accept a fundamentalist Islamic regime even if it was democratically elected.

Sid Adelman

Sherman Oaks

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Remember Bush’s “coalition of the willing,” a group of about 40 nations backing our stand in Iraq? Why can’t we call upon them to relieve our 150,000 troops? Certainly it shouldn’t be that much of a burden for each of these nations to supply just 3,000 troops. This would allow at least 120,000 of our troops to return home.

Roy H. Richardson

Huntington Beach

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We are now losing the men and women of our armed services daily in Iraq. Maybe it is time to rerun the footage of Bush’s triumphant landing on the carrier -- but this time run it backward.

Ruth Horowitz

Long Beach