I am writing in response to the Justin Haag's editorial response "Iraq War is Necessary and Just" in the Oct. 8 issue. The bitter reality that the United States has to engage, against its will, in yet another war against the mindlessly evil of this world does not seem to discourage the messianic vision of reservist Haag to whom liberating the oppressed is once again evidence of U.S. moral superiority.
I would like to draw Haag's attention to some issues. First, a smart college kid should be able to pull together a better conclusion in regards to the failure to find any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. For a change, he should check the website of the Project for the New American Century which shows that the current administration laid out their clear vision for Iraq and elsewhere as early as the Clinton years.
Second, it does not fit well to claim that "we are safe now" when the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq is increasing by the day, and when almost 60 percent of Iraq and roughly a corresponding percentage of Afghanistan are virtually out of the control of U.S. occupation regimes and their puppet governments.
Not that Haag ever had the Iraqi people on his mind with this "safety" argument. Why bother mentioning the 15,149 Iraqi civilians killed so far both by the U.S. occupying forces and the security chaos brought along by their presence? It is more fun to enjoy the shallow waters of self-righteousness than to challenge one's racist disregard to suffering of others.
"America is good?" I am not sure that many Iraqis would share this rosy image. Perhaps a sound first step to bring about any goodness at this point is to "support the troops" by bringing them home, providing them with decent jobs, not taking money away from their education and health care.
Then Mr. Haag would be able to continue his education instead of engaging in an illegal occupation of other nations.
