Letter: Invasion of Iraq has been brutal, pointless

Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006 | 6:59 a.m.

On Christmas Day the United States marked a milestone. We have now lost more American lives in Iraq than we lost on Sept. 11, 2001.

Just like the terrorist attacks five years ago, the invasion of Iraq has been similarly pointless and brutal. By some accounts, more than 100,000 Iraq civilians have been killed during the American occupation. And the immediate future of Iraq looks bleak as our presence has amplified the unstable situation into an all-out civil war.

Because of the misguided vicious terrorist attacks, most of the world looks with disdain toward its perpetrator, Osama bin Laden, and to a lesser extent to Iraq, a country that did not participate in the attacks by the admission of the White House and Britain's prime minister. Because of the ill-planned invasion and the attempt by our executive team to disregard any plans other than their own imprudent pompous agenda, most of the world looks with disdain toward the United States.

In the five-plus years since the attack, America went from a victim country that received worldwide support to an aggressor country whose policies have now increased terrorist factions, according to a recent report. Virtually all the support that the U.S. acquired in 2001 has eroded.

As we approach 2007, let's hope that sanity, clear thinking and intelligent planning will overcome stubbornness, arrogance and catering to special interests. Stop the slaughter of American troops and Iraqi civilians, and make our country safer and more respected.

Randall Buie, Henderson