Letter: Miscalculations in Iraq mounting

Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004 | 9:44 a.m.

It is becoming more apparent every day that the lofty goals the Bush administration had for democracy in Iraq are not achievable. Even President Bush now admits that he "miscalculated" the conditions that would confront our troops after the initial phase of the war in Iraq.

If the United States continues to try to bomb the Iraqis into a love of freedom, it will never happen. The daily killing of Iraqi citizens, whether by insurgents or by American firepower, propagates a hatred of our troops and a hatred of our country that grows deeper each day.

Now the Bush administration is forced to divert money previously earmarked for the rebuilding of Iraq's infrastructure to the monumental task of building up the Iraqi security forces. As we have seen on just about every occasion when Iraqi forces have been called into the line of fire, they have refused to engage the insurgents. Is there any amount of money that is going to entice Iraqis to fight and kill other Arabs at the direction of the United States?

The negatives surrounding the state of affairs in Iraq continue to pile up as insurgents gain control of more and more of the country. American troop losses are mounting, not because of battle fatalities, but because of booby traps set by an elusive and indistinguishable enemy. One has to have his head buried in the desert sand not to see the similarities with Vietnam.

It's time to re-assess this deepening chaos and hold those responsible for the "miscalculations" accountable with our votes in November.

PHIL VENTURA