To the editor:

Dissonance defined: The front page story describing the tearful farewell of a Lawrence Army National Guard unit bound for Iraq and the report about Condoleezza Rice scolding the Iraqi leadership that the United States is losing patience with their progress toward building a government (Journal-World, April 3). Does the right hand have any clue what the left hand is doing?

The colonel sending off the Lawrence unit mentioned that the soldiers were being sent to defend honor and freedom. He ought to have mentioned the truth. Oh! What wicked webs we weave, when the commander in chief deceives the country about the pretext for invading Iraq. There were no WMDs, no connection to 9-11, and instead of becoming a haven for democracy, Iraq has been transformed into a terrorist training camp. We helped push this country over the edge, and the nightmare is not about to end anytime soon. Despite the good intentions of this Lawrence Army National Guard unit and the petulance of Ms. Rice, the Iraqi Humpty-Dumpty will never go back together again.

Ray Finch,

Lawrence