To the editor:

When will we be told the truth?

We invaded Iraq because intelligence sources said they had weapons of mass destruction; they didn’t. Because they were involved in 9-11; they weren’t. Most recently, because we want to bring freedom and democracy to Iraq; but candidates elected who had been members of Saddam’s now-outlawed Baath Party will not be allowed to take their seats in the legislature, and there are widespread charges of election fraud and demands for recounts.

Can Muslims in the Middle East trust our promise of democracy? After all, we supported the shah in Iran, fought a war to reinstate the emir of Kuwait; the royal family in Saudi Arabia are our friends. Is that supporting democracy?

In Vietnam, we were told that if we withdrew, communism was going to spread all over Asia and threaten the entire world (any similarity with Iraq?). We lost 50,000 young men there, killed over a million Vietnamese, they are still communist and President Bush is planning to visit a now rather friendly Vietnam this year.

War is not the answer. For every “insurgent” (they call them hero, martyr or freedom fighter), “suspected” insurgent or civilian we kill, three to five uncles, brothers, sons, fathers will take his place. There is no end in sight. Should we perhaps stop, get out, and try instead love, compassion and extensive financial assistance to restore the infrastructure we destroyed, help them build up their education and health system now in desperate shape, and reduce widespread poverty? Doesn’t that sound like a better solution to the Iraq problem?

Harry Shaffer,

Lawrence