Letters: Oct. 17, 2005

• Share

(2 of 5)

The U.S.'s difficulties in Iraq were entirely predictable and show that military forces are ill suited for social work or political projects. An army is a blunt instrument. Its function is to destroy an enemy. Unless the U.S. intends to do just that, our soldiers should stay at home.

MICHAEL SMITH

Cynthiana, Ky.

I was opposed to the war in the beginning, but now I feel we must play this hand out to an acceptable end.

STEVE COSNER

Troy, Ohio

We lost the Iraq war a long time ago. President George W. Bush had no idea what he was getting us into. Now we all know that bluster and posturing don't win a conflict. If we can't stabilize Iraq, how can that country's ragtag police ever do so? Maybe peace would come if our occupation forces left.

GARY WILSON

North East, Md.

You asked whether the U.S. can win the war in Iraq, but a more apt question would be, Since the U.S. is losing the war, what can it do? The White House naively assumes that all countries are fertile ground for democracy. The layers of tribal fabric that make up Iraq are way too complex. Once American troops leave--as they eventually must--the only alternative to a tribal war in Iraq would be the installation of a strongman, a surrogate for Saddam Hussein on a short leash. With an autocratic leader in place, there would be social order in Iraq good enough to protect U.S. oil interests, which is what the war is all about.

CHRIS KEATING

Quebec City, Que.

The debacle in Iraq was wholly predictable, given the history of the British occupation there in the 1920s and the U.S. disaster in Vietnam. Moreover, it is bad military doctrine to fight the inevitable guerrilla war without an integrated hearts-and-minds operation. What I'm saying isn't hindsight; many of us have known from the start that the Iraq war was insane.

J. STEPHEN CRIDLAND

Cape Town

I am amazed that Americans don't seem to realize the gravity of the situation in Iraq. Why is the U.S. sacrificing its soldiers? The oil in Iraq is not worth it. There is no easy outcome to this war. U.S. opponents from around the world have a golden opportunity to challenge the U.S. in Iraq. American troops must contend with combat conditions, unfamiliar terrain and hot weather along with hatred from all corners of the Middle East. The sooner the war comes to an end, the better it will be for U.S. prestige. The Iraqi opposition forces are willing to sacrifice themselves to defend their country. But what are American soldiers sacrificing themselves for?

ZEESHAN AHMAD

Lahore, Pakistan

Disturbing Revelations

Hurricane Katrina has shown the world America's Achilles' heel: its inability to deliver a quick and coordinated response to a natural disaster [Sept. 19]. Could the U.S. cope effectively with a terrorist attack involving biological or nuclear weapons? More than ever, the U.S. needs big thinking on a big scale.

PHILIPPE P. WEBER

Bény-Bocage, France