Administration’s challenge in Iraq

Re “Pentagon Issues Grim Iraq Report,” Sept. 2

If President Bush is consistent in his response to war critics, he must now accuse the Pentagon of being unpatriotic and boosting the morale of the terrorists. Vice President Dick Cheney will allege that its actions are encouraging another terrorist attack in America. Actually, that’s correct.

JOHN WEINELL

Dana Point

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Every time I hear someone in the Bush administration say that we’ve got to “stay the course” in Iraq, I am reminded of a comment by Will Rogers: “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”

DARRYL DICKEY

Northridge

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Regarding the civil strife and sectarian violence in Iraq: When will the Bush administration admit it is civil war? When one side wears blue and the other side wears gray?

GARY W. THOMAS

San Diego

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Re “U.S. Seeks Firm to Check Iraq Coverage,” Sept. 1

This topic should have been a headline on the front page. This kind of manipulation of the news is a tactic used by fascist and communist governments. The people of this country need truthful and factual reporting. That $20 million could be better spent on neglected domestic issues: healthcare, education and taking care of our Iraq veterans, to mention a few. The Bush administration will not tell the truth. The media must.

CAROL G. MISHELL

Los Angeles

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The Bush administration once again seeks to manage the news by hiring a PR firm to monitor coverage of the Iraq war, including tone and scope. That’s fine; I understand that it’s necessary to enlist the voters’ support as the congressional elections draw closer. One important way of doing that is to alert the pundits and talking heads to unfavorable media coverage so they can immediately counteract it.

There are those of us who believe the war in Iraq is a distraction from the war on terror. We have already spent $300 billion to kill more than 2,600 Americans and tens of thousands Iraqis, incurring the hatred of much of the world. I object to spending an additional $20 million to convince voters that the war is just. I suggest that the PR firm leave the taxpayers out of it and bill the Republican National Committee.

DIANA STRAIN

La Mesa