Iraq war continues to confound critics

Re “Bush Treads on Critics’ Turf,” Aug. 22

Would we have prevented 9/11 if we had invaded Iraq before the attack? No, we would have prevented 9/11 with good police and intelligence work. Could an army in Iraq have been able to detect the London bombers before they got on planes? No, that was good police and intelligence work in Britain. Even though we had no reason to invade Iraq, and our presence has nothing to do with preventing terrorism, President Bush said Monday that “we’re not leaving so long as I’m the president.” That is the most complete admission of failure I have ever heard. There is no greater honor for an American than to serve in our military, but this president’s foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of the greatest military ever assembled and will continue to dishonor every person serving our country until he is gone.

JOHN TAYLOR

La Habra

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Re “The job in Iraq,” editorial, Aug. 22

The Bush administration’s refusal to define the mission in any way that confines its scope of action (or enables a military force to accomplish it) is based on the same assertion of limitless rights that the administration uses to justify any action it claims (without review by the courts or Congress) is needed in the war on terrorism. If someone could insist that the terms of debate be clarified, we might actually have a reasoned discussion instead of an unending stream of accusations about dissenters being unpatriotic.

STUART MEIKLEJOH

Ojai

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Re “Snipers Target Shiite March,” Aug. 21

If we were to experience a political war here in the U.S. such as the one we now call the Civil War, our newspapers would no doubt call it a “civil” war. However, the U.S. media seem unwilling to call what is happening in Iraq by the same name. It seems to me that in a country where religion and politics are deeply intertwined, there is little distinction between civil and sectarian war.

On Monday, I read that at least 20 Shiite pilgrims were killed and about 300 wounded by guerrillas in Baghdad in one incident. How can we continue to tolerate U.S. involvement in what is essentially a civil war? Our country has absolutely no business in deciding the outcome of this war.

BOB WINNERS

Glendale