U.S. Victories Don’t Stop Terrorists

Re “U.S. Faces a Mountainous Task in Its Pursuit of Bin Laden,” Opinion, Dec. 28: While explaining the difficulty of capturing Osama bin Laden, Husain Haqqani points out wisely that the U.S. battlefield victory in Afghanistan did not destroy Al Qaeda and the Taliban but drove them underground to guerrilla and terrorist activity. We have repeated this folly in Iraq. Still believing in national wars and “regime changes” as the way to protect the United States, President Bush and company have again won on the battlefield, only to have greatly increased the terrorist threats in and from Iraq.

Antiquated warriors, the president and all his men declare victory while making the world and our country still more dangerous. “Bring ‘em on” may work at the polls, but not in international strategy.

David Eggenschwiler

Los Angeles

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With reports of Al Qaeda behind another planned terrorist attack, it seems Bush made the same mistake with Bin Laden that his father did with Saddam Hussein -- not finishing the job. Before sending thousands of men to take out Hussein (at the time there was no proof he had anything to do with the death of even one American) we should have sent those same troops to either take out Bin Laden or drag out his carcass. If there are any attacks on the U.S. and they in any way could be linked with Bin Laden, Americans should hold Bush personally and solely responsible. I hear some excuses why we didn’t get Bin Laden, such as mountainous terrain. One question: Would Ronald Reagan have let Bin Laden get away with slaughtering 3,500 Americans?

Michael Lorraine

Simi Valley