Letter: Bush’s challenge fueled insurgents

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Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2005 | 9:03 a.m.

At a news conference on July 2, 2003, when queried about the post-war casualties in Iraq, President Bush's response, complete with gestures, was "Bring them on." On Oct. 9, 2003, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, President Bush stood before a sign emblazoned with the statement "Mission Accomplished."

It is sad to note that more than two years later, the death toll of American troops is approaching 1,800.

In addition, the number of our troops who have been wounded or who are suffering mental problems is estimated to exceed 12,000. It is obvious that the "insurgents" took up the challenge to "Bring them on."

The president and his administration should apologize to the American people, including the families of the dead, wounded and mentally scarred, for leading us into war under false pretenses. His rationale was flawed; there were no weapons of mass destruction, only a hatred for Saddam Hussein.

RAY HARBERT