On the Way to Civil War?

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Our report from the front lines of the warfare between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims in Iraq provoked many readers to conclude that the situation is indeed civil war and should have been anticipated. Some readers contested the idea that the U.S. invasion sparked the fire, while others offered hope for peace

As long as the eye-for-an-eye mentality dominates thought and behavior in the Middle East, there is little hope for a peaceable solution to Iraq's incipient civil war [March 6]. The philosophy of perpetual retaliation is devoid of love and not a part of God's plan for the human family. If the world hopes to survive and thrive, a holy war between Christian, Jewish and Islamic factions must be avoided. It is time to bury the sword and put on the mantle of love that should be worn in churches,synagogues and mosques everywhere.
Paul L. Whiteley Sr.
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.

Before the usual voices claim that the sectarian violence in Iraq is evidence of the futility of toppling Saddam Hussein, consider that the worst repressor of individual freedom in the Middle East — Iran — is still busy fomenting strife among its neighbors. Its hand shows up in not just Iraq but also Syria and Lebanon. It is convenient for Iran's supreme leader, Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, to blame the U.S. for Iraq's current troubles while his agents are busy there. Iran's militant regime is sowing chaos in the Middle East as it goes flat out to develop nuclear weapons. It needs a distracted West and a war-torn Iraq to accomplish that goal. The sooner we face that reality, the more rational our analysis will be.
Tom Minchin
Melbourne, Australia

What even the ordinary man in the street foresaw before the Bush Administration started its war has at last come true: a country that the dictator Saddam held together with a brutal, tight grip is spinning out of control. People unaccustomed to democracy and split by long-lasting rivalries are unlikely to seek peaceful coexistence. Maybe the American ideal of a national melting pot enticed the Bush Administration into irresponsibly simplifying the complicated situation in Iraq.
Hans Gerbig
Gersthofen, Germany

The choice in Iraq seems increasingly to be between imposing a police state or unleashing a civil war. Given the fractured history of the country and the divided makeup of the population, those two possible outcomes were predictable before the U.S. invasion in 2003. Although the President thought that merely by saying the magic words freedom and democracy he could bring them into being, his simplistic optimism never had a chance against the complex reality. Bush's war has taken a bad but stable situation under Saddam Hussein and made it worse for Iraqis, the region and the world.
Robert J. Inlow
Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.

I can't accept the argument that the escalating sectarian violence in Iraq has nothing to do with 24 years of Sunni oppression of Shi'ites and Kurds under Saddam but is the result of the incompetent U.S. invasion. What about the passion to avenge atrocities committed by the former regime? The U.S. can't be blamed for that. Still, Iraqis are probably better off with a dictator, somebody to force them to get along. They are a people who thrive on dictatorships and blood feuds.
Michael Klena
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

Perhaps history is a wise teacher and a solution to Iraq's problems can be found in the example of Yugoslavia. If the Shi'ites and the Sunnis refuse to cooperate, let them form separate states. Otherwise, they will continue to battle. The Shi'ites don't want to share the power that they have gained since Saddam's overthrow, and the Sunnis refuse to accept minority status in the new government. If dissolving the former Soviet empire and breaking up its satellite states of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia made sense, why doesn't separation make sense for Iraq?
Bob Mason
St. Albert, Canada

Consolidating post-Saddam Iraq could prove more expensive than the war itself. Meanwhile, there is growing resentment in the U.S. at the continuing loss of American lives. And if the U.S. were to declare war on Iran, a dwindling "coalition of the willing" might eventually become a "coalition of the billing," making opportunistic demands on the U.S. More important, oil prices may hit $100 or more per bbl. if Iran embargoes its oil exports or bottles up oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation. And the U.S.'s huge budget deficit, compounded by war, inflation and soaring oil prices, would make a nasty dent in George W. Bush's image in his own country.
Kangayam R. Narasimhan
Madras, India

Your cover story gave an apocalyptic view of Iraq and perhaps a plausible excuse for Bush's antagonists to smirk. But Iraq will come out of this quagmire just as the U.S. did after its civil war. Iraq needs only to look within itself to solve its problems, like any other nation. What Iraq is going through often happens to people who are given a chance for self-awareness, self-discovery and self-expression — a chance to exhale — after having been oppressed, shackled, silenced and placed in the dark. The unfortunate thing is that terrorists and enemies of the free world have now seized on Iraq as a base from which to operate. The world must hope that the Iraqis resist them.
Cosmas Uzoma Odoemena
Sokoto, Nigeria

Bring Back the Big Easy
"The big blank canvas" [march 6], about the struggles the people of New Orleans are facing as they attempt to rebuild, made for sad reading. I spent a very enjoyable holiday in the city in December 2004. I was struck by the vibrancy of the place, the style of the houses and the friendliness of the people. It appears that the decision to rebuild the city is being questioned. How can the wealthiest country in the world turn its back on its own people? America may spend $30 billion reconstructing Iraq but quibbles about spending money on New Orleans. Let's hope that the recent Mardi Gras celebration will rally public opinion in favor of rebuilding the once proud city.
Tony Keast
Halifax, England

On a Different Wavelength
Joe Klein's column "Bush's broken political antenna" [March 6] remarked that in response to recent controversies, ranging from the debate over foreign control of U.S. ports to the awful news coming from Iraq and Iran, the President is beginning to sound "airy and out of touch." But Bush has always been that way. It's just finally sinking in that something has gone very wrong. Bush has made mistake after mistake without ever offering an explanation or holding anyone accountable. This is the man we are trusting with our security? He is in denial while the rest of us look on aghast at his incompetence. I hope that all those who voted to re-elect him realize their mistake.
Sue Brown
West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.

Bush's political antenna isn't broken; it is tuned to the interests of Big Money. The transmission is on an encrypted frequency, and it directs the President much like a radio-controlled toy car.
Peter Farr
Olympia, Washington, U.S.

Honoring a World Champion
When I turned to your March 6 coverage of the Winter Olympics in Torino, the big story I found was about the doping controversy involving Austrian skiers — nothing about the positive aspects of the Olympics. What about the "clean" participants? What about the results of competitions? There was only a short "People" item on Shizuka Arakawa, the gold medalist in figure skating — and it was unfair. She is not, as you said, "a little-known Japanese figure skater." She is the winner of the 2004 World Championship, held in Dortmund, Germany. At Torino she did not, as you reported, "become a surprise star by keeping her tush off the ice." She was simply the best.
Udo Wilhelm
Marl, Germany

Passage to India
"Let's be friends" [March 6] stated that President Bush's visit to India would inaugurate a new era of cooperation between the two powers. Indians highly appreciate and value the President's friendship with India. Let the two great countries engage in a joint partnership to advance international peace and prosperity based on the tenets of democracy, freedom and human dignity. An economically strong and united India will provide much needed balance, succor and harmony to the world community.
Subhash C. Kapoor
Noida, India

Cheney's Final Shots
Thousands of Vietnam veterans heaved a collective sigh of relief that sharpshooter Cheney [Feb. 27] received five draft deferments.
Harry Palmer
Marblehead, Massachusetts, U.S.

time's story suggested that this circus was the last thing the President needed. On the contrary, the circus seems to have provided the media with a less damaging diversion from the really bad news of the week. The shooting generated an 11-page story package, while the scathing, 520-page congressional report on the Hurricane Katrina fiasco was underreported. Seems like Whittington literally took a hit for his buddies.
Michele Tombari
Las Vegas

It's amazing that the victim was the one who apologized, while the shooter said, "It's one of the worst days of my life." Couldn't Cheney have apologized for shooting his friend without making the statement all about himself?
Georganna Dickson
Hightstown, New Jersey, U.S.

What a bunch of brave hunters was at Armstrong Ranch! They rode around in old jeeps and got out to shoot helpless birds. Real sports, aren't they?
Walter Phillips
Grand Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.

Ciao, Torino
It is unfortunate that Canadians will remember the Torino Olympics [Feb. 27] more for the quarterfinal elimination of our men's hockey team than for our record haul of 24 Winter Olympic medals.
Theo Luykenaar
Burlington, Canada

Learning Europe's Values
I was very surprised by the Europeans' resistance to Indian tycoon Lakshmi Mittal's takeover bid for Arcelor steel [Feb. 13]. We in the East are working very hard to establish societies based on European values. But the European hostility toward an Indian's move into their world has shattered our confidence. On the merger issue, it is very sad to note that the Europeans turned out to be as conservative as any traditional Easterner. Their reaction confirmed that a strong psychological barrier between West and East still exists.
Anis Alam Saeed
Karachi

The Secrets of Ambition
Staying power is important, but success has many more elements than ambition [Feb. 13]. Talent, vision and just plain luck play a role too. Perhaps the greatest ambition a person can have is to be a complete human being. That's what I will teach my children.
Todd R. Lockwood
South Burlington, Vermont, U.S.

I wish that your article had featured ordinary folks whose ambition drove them to be successful physicians, caregivers, inventors and scientists — people who actually work to keep humankind alive and functioning. Here's to the B-team players!
Bill Lenters
Rockford, Illinois, U.S.

I enjoyed reading your article about ambition as I lay on my sofa munching popcorn. I'm now working up the ambition to go make dinner and finish the laundry.
Annette Brehm
West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.

Ford Focused
The quality of Ford's products must be improved [Feb. 6]. It's not rocket science. Build safe and sturdy cars that last, and they will sell. Unfortunately, too many consumers feel abandoned by North American car manufacturers when it comes to quality, and they are expressing that feeling by spending their hard-earned dollars elsewhere.
Bob Doucett
Dartmouth, Canada

Instead of concentrating on cut-rate deals to move product, Ford should invest a few more dollars per car so it can be proud of the quality of vehicles that roll off its assembly line. Ford would better understand the need for reliability if he could experience the feeling of total trust in the dependability and quality that comes from owning an Accord or a Camry over a period of years.
Ivan Paganacci
Plantation, Florida, U.S.

Upset Victory
Palestinians sent a clear message by choosing to be governed by a group allied with Iran and Syria that advocates the destruction of Israel [Feb. 6]. The artful ambiguity that existed under the previous Fatah government of accepting a Jewish state within defined borders has been replaced by Hamas' clarity of purpose. Israel must be ready to respond to the militant challenge to its existence.
Morris Sosnovitch
Toronto

Surely most Americans can't fail to see the hypocrisy in the U.S. reaction to the election of Hamas as the legitimate Palestinian government. The Bush Administration is always on a soapbox claiming it fights for democracy, but when a free and democratic election process results in the victory of a group the Administration doesn't like, suddenly it is a different story. The U.S. needs to understand that the world doesn't want it as a global policeman and certainly not George W. Bush as global shoot-'em-up sheriff.
Victor Marshall
Erskineville, Australia

The Trouble with Elections
Klein's column was right on the mark [Feb. 6]. It is amazing to me, a "Reagan Democrat," how quickly the U.S. electorate could forget President Bush's campaign positions that criticized the Clinton Administration's policy of "nation building." Isn't that precisely what Bush has us doing in Afghanistan and Iraq? As Klein said, democracy "demands that people take charge of their lives and make informed decisions." I hope Americans make informed decisions in the next elections and hold our public officials accountable for what they say. We need to repair our image as a superpower and calm the global hornet's nest this Administration and congressional leadership have stirred up.
Richard Zack
New Providence, New Jersey, U.S.

Give Women a Hand
"Why Merkel is not enough" [jan. 30] reported on the difficulties that German women face when they try to combine career and family. We want our women to take part in the professional and cultural life of our society. The problem is that our government does very little to support working mothers. We hope that Angela Merkel, our first woman Chancellor, may be able to promote policies that bring mothers into the workforce. The combining of career and children has to be made possible in the nearest future. We have a strong will to integrate women in all parts of social life, but the government has to help us make that a reality.
Benedikt Fischer
Würzburg, Germany