Letters to the Editor: Barbara Lee and a lot of other Americans knew Bush was wrong after 9/11

To the editor: Thank you for the editorial about the legacy of 9/11. You made thoughtful points overall, but you slight the wide opposition to President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq before he launched that misadventure.

Right after you mention, correctly, that Iraq had nothing to do with the 9/11 attack, you describe Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) as the only opponent in Congress to a war-power authorization. Her brave solo stand came against our invasion of Afghanistan.

In 2002, 133 members of the House and 23 of the Senate, including California Democrat Barbara Boxer, voted against authorizing the Iraq invasion. Hundreds of thousands of Americans participated in mass demonstrations against the invasion of Iraq before it began in March 2003.

Two words of your editorial are poorly chosen, where you say Bush’s misplaced reaction to 9/11 was wrong “in hindsight.” It was wrong at the time, and many Americans knew so.

Guy Webster, Pasadena

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To the editor: In the aftermath of 9/11, the United States had the goodwill and sympathy of the entire world, but we squandered it.

It might have been acceptable to have sent special forces into Afghanistan to find Osama bin Laden and settle up our account with him on the spot. However, the invasion of that country was an illegal act of war, and so was our 20-year occupation.

The United States has spent its fortune and blood in Afghanistan and in the process unleashed the furies.

Did the terrorists win? No. We lost. We lost our soul and became the evil we sought to vanquish.

Joseph Gius, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Whether in miniature or in stupidity or both, the U.S. Capitol was indeed hit by terrorism.

Contrary to all uncomfortable hand-twisting denials, Jan. 6 was another Flight 93, a failed attempt to destroy the seat of our government. The main differences between the two events is the nationalities of the attackers.

Paul DuNard, Cypress