Assessing the war’s winners and losers

Re “Iraq’s fig leaf constitution,” Opinion, Aug. 30

Robert Scheer hits the nail on the head when he states the region’s autocrats, theocrats and terrorists are stronger than ever. What he fails to address fully is the undeniable truth that if we leave Iraq, there will be chaos and civil war. And this will occur if we leave tomorrow or if we leave four years from now. The only difference would be that if we leave now, the Iraqis will have only each other to kill, not our precious young men and women.

RON LANKFORD

Corona

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Scheer will only be happy with a total victory -- by the insurgents.

SANDRA RUH

Yucaipa

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If most of The Times’ letter writers were around during our American Revolution, I’m sure they would howl about George Washington and his many failures against the redcoats. Likewise, they would bellyache about Lincoln and his trampling of the Constitution, or Grant and his willingness to accept casualties as a price for victory. There’s no doubt they would be highly critical of our World War II casualty rates and might even press for President Franklin D. Roosevelt to bring the boys home immediately.

Someday the Arab world will be free and democratic and President Bush will be celebrated as a great president who stood firm in the face of withering criticism from the weak-kneed left.

STEVE BECK

Glendora