To the editor:
Much of how the U.S. media and the U.S. public are condemning the Iraqis' response to the invasion of their country is one-sided and hypocritical.
For instance, right here in Lawrence, two National Guard armories are both within a few dozen feet of civilian homes. One of them is within 300 feet of a public school. Are we then guilty of having "deliberately placed military targets in civilian areas?" We're attacking their towns and cities; of course we're going to find military targets around civilians.
The U.S. is declaring Iraqis to be war criminals for fighting in their civilian clothing. What about the Minutemen in our Revolutionary War? What about the U.S. special forces and CIA operatives who are in Iraq wearing Iraqi civilian clothing. Are they also war criminals? Or are they just spies?
We're condemning the Iraqis for showing our POWs on TV. What about how often we've seen Iraqi POWs on TV? What about the humiliating and degrading treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, also shown on TV?
We're just as imperfect and flawed as any other group of people on this planet. War is not an enlightened response to the problems of this modern world. We should support our troops and work reasonably and determinedly to bring them home from the horror, madness and chaos they're experiencing in our name. We should provide aid and comfort to those living under oppressive regimes and utilize our power and authority to "liberate" them by whatever peaceful means necessary.
Mike Cuenca,
Lawrence
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