Letter: Iraq debate

To the editor:

I agree with Kevin Groenhagen (Public Forum, Feb. 26) that a comprehensive debate is overdue about the run up to the invasion of Iraq and subsequent mishandling of the occupation. One only needs to observe Team Bush’s own statements in the media to follow the mistruths and outright lies that were spewed forth as they backpedaled after finding no WMDs. Bush’s own terror czar during this period, Richard Clarke, has stated that the “things that they authorized fall into the category of war crimes.” For many Americans these unindicted co-conspirators keep the truth suppressed and reduce our credibility in any serious foreign policy discussions.

The relevance to today’s world is a result of Paul Bremer’s occupation administration in Iraq. By shutting out Saddam Hussein’s backers and allies from any part in the post-war rebuilding of Iraq, the seeds were sown for the insurgency that kept us there for more 10 years. These Rumsfeld “dead-enders” are certainly the core of ISIS today.

From torture revelations and lies to Congress there are certainly plenty of events to investigate yet there has never been any serious congressional inquiry into any of this. Over 4,000 dead American service people and 100,000 dead Iraqis demand accountability for this debacle. Maybe now that the Dems are officially the opposition party they should call for a thorough debate of this dark period of American history. With the Republicans running Congress that is unlikely to happen and we are probably due for more of this revisionist drivel.