Bush to Bremer: Bring Iraqi Leadership Up to Speed

Re “Bremer Told to Speed Up Transition,” Nov. 13: Suddenly President Bush wants the Iraqis to form a transition government very soon, and he makes believe that it is his idea. Had he listened to the French, Germans and the European Union, in general, when they advised him six months ago to do just that, we would not be in the bloody, expensive and ludicrous mess we are in today. If he really wants to be patriotic, Bush should spend the $87 billion for the Americans who need it and not for the Iraqis, who will go back to their old ways as soon as we leave their country.

Paul Soulier

Studio City

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Bush is between Iraq and a hard place. Of course he wants out of Iraq ASAP. If he mires troops in Iraq indefinitely, he’ll lose all those lovely dreams of world domination. Bush counts on military timeliness, speed and flexibility to exercise his options. Besides, the next U.S. election is a looming deadline. If troops are still taking casualties in Iraq, he can’t sell further U.S. adventurism.

But Bush wants the foreign ownership of businesses in Iraq that has been approved by civilian administrator L. Paul Bremer III and any contracts signed and in place before he withdraws troops. Those on the Iraqi Governing Council look insufficiently compliant. They had better start writing their resumes. The only question is, who is sufficiently like Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai (obedient and a “big oil” representative) to be trusted with handing over Iraq’s resources?

Kathy Kasza

San Dimas

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Re “U.S. Military Responding More Fiercely to Iraqi Guerrilla Strikes,” Nov. 12: I am outraged at your front-page photo of the Iraqi woman in front of her destroyed home, obviously aimed at encouraging sympathy in your readers. The home was destroyed after the ambush of our soldiers and the death of 34-year-old Sgt. 1st Class Jose A. Rivera. This group of people was caught with a truck full of hidden rocket-propelled grenades in front of the home. The home was also full of remote-detonation bombs and other weapons, and one of the men admitted to participating in the ambush.

Your article also pointed out at the end that they admitted to their guilt. The wife of one of the incarcerated men told a passing Iraqi driver that they would not have been caught “if it wasn’t for that damned truck.” Why don’t you put a picture of the grieving family of Sgt. Rivera on the front page?

Laura Stout

Manhattan Beach

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Re “An Honor Roll of Sacrifice in Iraq,” Nov. 11: What about the wounded soldiers? Their pain and suffering are more prolonged and lasting. They should not be ignored.

Rogelio Pena

Montebello

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With the death toll rising, Bush has finally devised an exit strategy from a country he demolished and plunged into anarchy: Toss the Iraqis the keys. It would appear that establishing democracy in the Middle East will have to wait until after the next election.

Gary Durrett

Glendale