Letters to the Editor
serena1313
Published Letters: 37 Editor's Choice: 1
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If that was true we'd be leaving
[Read the article: The withdrawal disconnect]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Iraqis did ask us to leave. Just a few days ago 144 members of Iraq's Parliament voted for US withdrawal. That is more than half of the 275 member parliament.
Today the 57 members of the "Organization of the Islamic Conference" (OIC) of Foreign Ministers from Muslim nations called on International forces to leave Iraq ASAP. They also warned the US not to divide the country along Sunni and Shiite lines.
Reuters reported that Iraq is on the verge of collapse. Currently violence is spiraling out of control. Not just one civil war, but several civil wars are in progress among tribal communities. If US troops intervene, who do they protect: Sunnis? Shiites? Moreover American soldiers' disadvantage is it is impossible to differentiate between the Sunnis and Shiites. It is not as if they can stop and ask, "are you Sunni or Shiite?" Bush has our troops in a tenuous situation -- they're damned if they do and damned if they don't.
Should Iraq collapse the possibility of widening civil wars throughout the region substantially increases. Some argue Iran is antagonizing the situation in Iraq, but that is highly unlikely. No leader with such high stakes at risk would gamble on the present and future of their country, the region and his/her own political career. (not even kim jung il nor ahmadinejad) The chance of violence spilling over Iraq's border into Iran's Sunni area would destabilize Iran. It does not take a rocket scientist to determine that is the last thing Iran and the rest of the Muslim-Arab world want. Anyone saying otherwise lack common sense or else they have a rotten bill of goods for sale.
More importantly while everyone is debating on what to do about Iraq, no one seems too concerned with what Iraqi citizens want. Of course al-Maliki wants us to stay because he could not pretend to be the President of Iraq anymore. Considering polls show 85 % - 90 % of Iraqis want us to leave, the OIC Foreign Ministers called for the US to leave and over half of Iraq's parliament members voted for the US to leave strongly suggests we overstayed our welcome.
Why Bush wants to stay is unclear unless he is waiting for the oil agreement to be signed. Notwithstanding having built 7 permanent military bases and construction not yet completed for the largest embassy in the world provides Bush little incentive to leave. Apparently he shows little concern about the on-going costs in-terms of devastating human lives and the utter destruction of homes, businesses and land caused by the US occupation -- violent occupation. Suffice to say we are unwelcome in Iraq.
While both Houses argue about whether and when to leave Iraq, Iraqis are trying desperately to be heard. Iraq does not belong to us. It belongs to the Iraqis. Bring the troops home and give the country back to its rightful owners. Furthermore allow the Iraqi people their dignity.
The sooner we leave the sooner they will work things out and start re-building their country with funds provided by US.
We owe them that and much, much more.
If our legislators had a sense of honour they would stop playing politics and start doing what is in the best interest of all concerned! That means abiding by the Iraqis' request.
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Sadly Bush will not do anything.
[Read the article: "I stand by Al Gonzales"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Apparently Gonzales has no problem with being dishonest; it is second nature evidently. As it turns out after assuring Congress only the 8-fired prosecuting attorneys had been slated for dismissal, Gonzales was not being truthful. Between February 2005 and December 2006 a total of 26 prosecutors were targeted to be terminated.
Gonzales has broken his trust with the American people. He has lost all credibility. The US attorney general's priorities are to protect the public's interests. The only interests Gonzales is safe-guarding are those of the president. He was directly asked during his confirmation hearings whether he would be able to separate protecting the interests of the public from the interests of the president in which he answered affirmatively. His answer was dubious at best considering for decades he has been by Bush's side beginning with Bush's tenure as Governor of Texas.
There was nothing to indicate Gonzales would do otherwise, so it comes as no surprise his devotion remains with Bush. However as the president of the United States Bush's duty is to the American people. Failing to replace Gonzales would illustrate Bush is looking after his own self-interests by keeping a loyal friend, but an ineffective and marginalized attorney general.
The Justice Department is in disarray. To operate effectively for the American public it necessitates Bush to act responsibly by replacing Gonzales with someone who respects the law and who will keep politics out of our Justice system for the sake of our nation.
Sadly Bush will not do anything.
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Not Surprising, but disappointing
[Read the article: Libby spared the clink]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Bush slapped the face of Justice. Commuting Libby's sentence signals lying to federal investigators and obstructing justice is okay. It does not matter that Libby was found guilty, it matters what the political party wants. Politics trump all else: morals, ethics, the law, sound advice, etc.
Using power as a means for political ends has been this administration's M.O. Ultimately they will come to the realization the degree of damage they caused America. However that will not happen until they are affected personally. It's inevitable.
The get-out-of-jail-free cards, the "heck of a job" compliments and the medals of freedom rewarded to those lest deserving are indicators just how far off-track America is.
Standing-by loyal friends who should have known better is not a sign of strength; it is weakness. Strength is never allowing friendship or politics to trump doing what is right for the nation. Bush, however, is incapable of differentiating between self-interests and the interest of the country. Not only has he compromised our justice system, commuting Libby's sentence demonstrates a complete and utter disdain for the law and measured justice. That is disconcerting.
Absent a moral compass with Bush at the bow the US, aimlessly adrift in unfriendly and uncharted seas, is about to drown in irrelevance.