The Iranians seem to be winning

Re “Iraq reaches out to Iran -- with or without U.S.,” Jan. 16

Is it any wonder? After all, the Democrats were elected to control Congress on a get-out-of-Iraq-now agenda. Today, these Democrats are just as willing to throw the Iraqis to their enemies as the 1975 Democrats were to abandon the South Vietnamese to the communists. Ultimately, the loss to the communists in 1975 led to the execution of millions of people. That number would likely be exceeded in an Iraq suddenly abandoned by America, but few seem to care. I, for one, don’t blame them for making adjustments to counter an untrustworthy ally.

JON APPLEBY

Rancho Palos Verdes

*

The real tragedy of President Bush’s war in Iraq is that American lives were lost when the most likely outcome of that war will be to expand the influence of Iran in the Middle East. Before Bush’s war, Iraq was a secular state that balanced the influence of the radical Islamic Republic of Iran. Now radical Shiite fundamentalists probably will dominate governments all the way from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean.

JAY STEVENS

Long Beach