The Case for War Is Indefensible

In his June 23 commentary, “The Real News in the Downing Street Memos,” Michael Smith noted that British Prime Minister Tony Blair supported “military action to bring about regime change.” However, because overthrowing foreign governments is illegal under international law, Blair conspired with President Bush to create “conditions in which we could legally support military action.”

Smith observed that Bush and Blair intended to trap Saddam Hussein over the issue of weapons of mass destruction. The WMD issue was the bait. Hussein did not take the bait and let in the weapons inspectors. Bush launched his war anyway.

Irrefragable support for Smith’s claim comes from a principal neocon architect of the war: Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. In a May 2003 Vanity Fair interview, Wolfowitz stated, “The truth is that for reasons that have a lot to do with the U.S. government bureaucracy, we settled on the one issue that everyone could agree on, which was weapons of mass destruction as the core reason.”

The Iraqi invasion had nothing to do with WMD.

Smith’s Downing Street memos reveal the real reasons and provide the American people with the evidence to hold Bush accountable for his illegal invasion.

Arch Miller

Arcadia

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Just one question for Smith: When do you think impeachment proceedings will begin for the president of the United States? People around the world have got to believe that Americans are the dumbest group of people on the planet, or that we have the most corrupt political system ever devised by mankind.

Either one is a tragedy for Americans and the world.

Larry Diaz

San Marino