Letter: How long will we be fooled by Bush’s lies?

Sunday, May 20, 2007 | 6:56 a.m.

Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, who was originally opposed to the troop surge in Iraq, has accepted the position of war czar. What exactly he is supposed to do, other than accept responsibility in the event the surge is not a success, is beyond me. Is there a difference between commander in chief and war czar?

The records clearly show that, four years after our "macho" president claimed "Mission Accomplished," this war is a disaster. Yet in 2003 he said we were making steadfast progress, great progress. In 2004 he said we were making progress toward our goal. In 2007 he said there were signs of progress.

Furthermore, in 2004 he said we will have a democratic Iraq, and in 2007 he said our goal is a democratic Iraq. I take it this all means we are making progress toward a democratic Iraq (although I do not recall the Iraqi people asking for one).

The Iraqis are leaving their country in droves (yes, their country). They want an election to decide if the Americans should remain. The Parliament is considering a two-month vacation while we shed our American blood, and the generals returning say this war cannot be won by the military but by a political solution.

Am I the only one who feels enormous emotion and sensitivity for all the innocent Iraqis who have died for this democracy? These people have mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, siblings and friends who weep for them and yet every day we read or hear about bombing after bombing killing 20, 30, 60, 100 Iraqis.

It is unconceivable how our commander in chief (war czar?) shows such apathy and can say, "we will not leave Iraq as long as I am president."

He can appoint a war czar or whatever, but he cannot bamboozle us much longer.

LaRue S. Boenig, Henderson