Letter: Repeating errors of Iraq could be disastrous

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 | 7:14 a.m.

The Bush administration keeps reminding us that Iran is gaining as a potential nuclear power and poses a threat to the Middle East, Europe and the United States. President Bush insists that a first-strike option is quite possible if the situation warrants action against Iran's nuclear power plants.

We already know about the consequences of poor intelligence information, lack of world support and our shock-and-awe first strike against Iraq. Would a strike against Iran be a repeat of this same scenario?

A first strike initiated by the U.S. alone and conducted against Iraq in a similar fashion with misguided information, confused leadership plans and without the full support and participation of world allies, especially Europe, will bring disastrous results. Fanatical religious Muslims will seek vengeance at their own opportunity and time with which to inflict devastating damage upon us, whether it is nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

Like the proverbial elephant, they will never forget; it may be a few months, a decade or two, or even 100 years, but they will pursue their goal of inflicting vengeance against the United States.

If we repeat the blunders made in Iraq when dealing with Iran, President Bush may be remembered in history as the man who provoked World War III. The entire world may live to regret the day that this man became president of the United States.

Virgil A. Sestini, Las Vegas