To the editor:

We’ll “decapitate” the regime, they said, and avoid civilians. Over 33,000 sorties later and with 1,252 civilians dead and 5,103 wounded, overwhelmed hospitals had to stop counting.

Journalists are killed in civilian buildings, the Pentagon says, by U.S. troops responding to sniper fire. No one at the hotel reports hearing any. Pentagon stories often vary significantly with observations of reporters at the scene. Eyewitnesses stick to their stories but mythical versions fill the airwaves.

Niger sold Iraq 500 tons of uranium oxide for nuclear weapons, they said, prompting an understandably frightened Congress to approve military action. Oops. The Niger story was a fabrication.

Iraq is not cooperating, they said. Allowing inspectors in was long overdue, but it happened. Voluntary destruction of Al-Samoud missiles constituted, according to inspector, Hans Blix, “a substantial measure of disarmament.” With signs of progress, why did we choose carnage?

Saddam Hussein is a tyrant, they said. True, but one of many. (See humanrightswatch.org.) Are we entitled to attack anywhere in the world based on how we chose to define “threat” or “oppressive”?

The truth? Much of it is ugly and we’re responsible. U.S. companies with Bush administration ties have multimillion-dollar contracts for rebuilding Iraq. Using Iraqi oil money? Wrongs piled upon wrongs. Sweeping it under the rug is the American way, but that’s wrong, too.

Christy Kennedy,

Lawrence