Letter: Cost of oil measured in American lives lost

Monday, May 29, 2006 | 6:57 a.m.

The war in Iraq continues on and on with no real light at the end of the tunnel. Approximately 2,500 Americans have died in a war that was fought for the wrong reasons, in the wrong place, and at the wrong time. The Bush administration has lied to the American people from Day One concerning the war and our reasons for going to war.

Even though the truth concerning the war is finally coming out, over 30 percent of Americans polled still back our continued involvement in a war that is more about oil than defeating terrorism abroad and protecting Americans from attacks at home. The old tired argument that we still hear, "I'd rather fight them (terrorists) over there, rather than fight them over here," has little credence when you consider the fact that over a million illegals are entering this country each year. Any number of those illegals could be a terrorist with plans to do great harm to Americans. Fortunately, that has not happened.

The current price of a gallon of gasoline at the pump has put a financial burden on many American families, but few Americans have successfully connected the price of gas with the never-ending war in Iraq.

Several members of the Bush administration, including Vice President Dick Cheney, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, stated early on that the oil in Iraq would pay for the war. We now know that this has not been the case.

I said very early on that all the oil in Iraq was not worth the cost of the life of one single American soldier. I still believe that. I support our troops, but truly believe that it's time to bring them home. Blood for oil is a very poor exchange!

Larry Burgess, Henderson