Letter: Most Americans deceived on ‘war victory’ in Iraq

Wednesday, May 14, 2003 | 9:41 a.m.

May 14, 2003

On March 20 U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte sent a formal letter to the president of the Security Council. Therein, Negroponte confirmed that, relative to Iraq, America would only act based on Security Council resolutions and that it would not attack without the U.N.'s authorization.

"The actions being taken are authorized under existing Council resolutions, including its resolutions 678 (1990) and 687 (1991)," began the Negroponte letter. It later pointed to Council resolution 1441 (2002) as Iraq' s "final opportunity" to comply with the U.N.'s disarmament requirements.

Speaking to the press after releasing copies of the letter, Negroponte stated, "We believe that we are acting to enforce existing Security Council Resolution's vis-a-vis Iraq." In formally submitting the U.S. government's policy regarding an attack on Iraq, Negroponte was simply echoing what President Bush has repeatedly stated in his public pronouncements.

It never fails to disgust me how the American people are being deceived into believing that Operation Iraqi Freedom was an American war victory instead of just another U.N. disarmament action.

FRANK M. PELTESON