Letter: U.S. presence in Iraq has made things worse

Sunday, July 8, 2007 | 7:10 a.m.

Regarding Eileen Schenck's July 4 letter, "Pessimism won't help us reach goal in Iraq":

First of all, yes, "we have real enemies in that region." Ms. Schenck is absolutely correct about that, but what was not mentioned is that many of our enemies in that part of the world, particularly in Iraq, have been of our own making.

We chose to attack Iraq despite the fact that there was no valid reason to do so. The Iraqis had no WMDs and no connection with 9/11, and weren't harboring terrorists. Only since our invasion, and our prolonged war, have terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and Hezbollah taken up residence in Iraq. In short, our ill-conceived war in Iraq has created a breeding ground for terrorist activity.

Ms. Schenck's contention that "it is a struggle to develop a democracy" is a valid statement, but it must be pointed out that those American colonists who struggled to gain their independence during the American Revolution already enjoyed and clearly understood the workings of self-government.

The people of Iraq, on the other hand, have no history, no tradition, no understanding or appreciation of self-government. It's very difficult to give a group of people democracy at the point of a gun.

The writer's contention that the war in Iraq can still be won is an interesting statement. I wish to ask the writer what is meant by "win," and how long will it require our troops to stay in Iraq to achieve that "win," that military victory. For the longest time I have believed that there is no military solution to the war in Iraq. There is a political/diplomatic solution, however.

The Bush administration has no plan in terms of bringing closure to the war. The next president will inherit a war that has become a huge burden for our military forces and has continued to divide the people of this great country.

Larry Burgess, Henderson