Iranian leader’s clout and fear-mongering

Re “Iran’s Leader Says U.N. Controlled by U.S., Israel,” Sept. 20

As a result of the U.S. removal of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Iran is happy because the Taliban was a fundamentalist Sunni movement that hated the Shiites in Iran. The U.S. removed the first of Iran’s archenemies.

As a result of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the capture of Saddam Hussein, it is clear that Iran is in a much stronger position. The U.S. removed the second of Iran’s archenemies.

As a result of the weakening of the U.S. military -- underarmed, undermanned and fatigued beyond recognition in Iraq -- the U.S. is now militarily incapable of successfully attacking Iran. Thus, we have effectively removed the third of Iran’s archenemies.

In his speech at the United Nations, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should have thanked President Bush instead of criticizing him. After all, Bush has done more for the power of Shiite fundamentalists in Tehran than anybody since the Ayatollah Khomeini.

STEPHEN O’HARROW

Honolulu

*

In recent days I have watched Bush and the presidents of Iran and Venezuela speak before the United Nations. As embarrassing as this may be, the so-called bad guys were more intelligent, coherent and persuasive than Bush. That frightens me.

LARRY EDWARDS

Temple City

*

The U.S. media are marketing Ahmadinejad as enemy No. 1, just as they did with Hussein before the Iraq war. This administration wants us to forget our true enemy, Osama bin Laden. The media are assisting in the fear-mongering that will lead to yet another war with a sovereign country that has done nothing to harm us.

LANA ABRAMS

Seattle