Letter: U.S. forced out inspectors in ‘98, not Saddam

Tuesday, May 6, 2003 | 8:56 a.m.

The Clifford May commentary in the May 2 Sun was irrational propaganda. Mr. May's attack on Paul Krugman's column depends upon name-calling and the reversal of the burden of proof. May refers to Krugman as being in "the Appeasement Movement," people who are supporters of "mass murdering, American-hating dictators who conspire with terrorists ... including al-Qaida."

Instead of explaining the non-existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Mr. May asks why Saddam fought the inspections if he had nothing to hide.

Paul Krugman argued that if we are going to invade a country and kill a lot of people, we ought to have the burden of proof that there was a threat. Our president may have lied to us, depending upon what the meaning of "500 tons of chemical agents" is. Mr. May's questions reverse that burden and are based on myths. Saddam did not force out the inspectors in 1998. The United States did it so that it could conduct a military operation. Saddam had something to fear from inspectors, though.

Two of the United States' members of UNSCOM were spies whose mission was the assassination of Saddam. The sanctions were not so much a prevention of WMD as they were intended to create so much suffering of the Iraqi people that they would overthrow Saddam. It didn't work and we needed the oil to flow.

Donald Rumsfeld and Saddam were buddies during the Iraq-Iran war, but Saddam was ambitious, nationalistic and anti-colonial -- a deadly combination.

I'm surprised to find May's opinions in the Sun; this kind of commentary belongs on Fox News.

JERRY BITTS