A Battle of Words Over the Violence in Iraq

Re “Falloujans Get an Unsettling Look at Their City,” Dec. 30: Your article punctuates the massive stupidity and failure of this war. With wrecked homes and businesses, rotting corpses and pools of raw sewage, there is no insult this city has not suffered. With 200,000 of its residents unable or unwilling to return, Fallouja joins Guernica, Hamburg, Dresden, Hiroshima and the villages of Vietnam in signaling the depths of human depravity.

History will not forget the irony of Marine Lt. Col. Dan Wilson, who said the destruction was “to eliminate the malicious threat posed by the terrorists and insurgents.”

William H. DuBay

Costa Mesa

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The media and politicians must stop inaccurately referring to homicidal terrorists as insurgents. Webster’s Dictionary explains terrorism as “the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.” This is a far more accurate description of the coldblooded killers we are fighting; terrorists purposely seeking and slaughtering innocent men, women and children to create chaos for selfish goals.

Improper identification is dangerous because it minimizes and inaccurately conveys their horrific agenda. Mislabeling insults our troops, who are sacrificially engaging the terrorists from many countries who have vowed to destroy us, not a few insurgents in a localized political fight. If we are to win this war declared upon us by committed terrorists worldwide, we must not inaccurately identify or underestimate them.

Bonnie O’Neil

Newport Beach

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Clearly those who think taking responsibility for one’s actions is a conservative ideal are mistaken, as Michael Ramirez’s Dec. 30 cartoon illustrates. Apparently others are supposed to pick up after the U.S. Ramirez depicts Iraq on the ground beside her walker while Europe stands idly by finishing his croissant.

How quickly Ramirez forgets that the U.S., not Europe, attacked Iraq. Au contraire, Europe tried to prevent the assault.

Virginia Cassara

Irvine