Hatred Still Looms
To The Editor:

The debate does not concern Iraq but how as a nation we plan to compete and defeat the proponents of hate who seek daily the destruction of the United States. No good has come from occupying Iraq nor will any[thing] positive be achieved by additional loss of American lives or expenditure of treasury.

There is a war against terror to be fought. The Bush Administration beliefs of a bellwether Iraqi democracy that would birth freedom in the Middle East defied the realities. Saddam was no more a threat to U.S. security than [are] the thousands of madrassas teaching hatred of the West. Iranian cartoons promoting suicide bombing as a noble calling to youngsters are a continuing threat to our security, morals and principles.

Oil ties us to the strings of Saudi Arabia. The "kingdom" is fundamentally the most oppressive and adverse to our way of life. Dependency upon the Saudi oil reserves denies the U.S. power to speak against the denial of basic human rights that defines Saudi society. Our silence proves our impotency and confirms that our principles are negotiable.

Our beliefs were strained by the attacks of 9/11. The terror of that day was used by the Administration to justify actions never taken by any prior presidency. Those who believe in Bush's responses fail to comprehend that force will not diminish the threats. Few if any Americans take issue that the U.S. must be ready to defend and annihilate those who would attack us.

The U.S. must seek to end our reliance upon oil, a resource controlled by those who would rejoice in our destruction. Maintaining our forces in Iraq up to a hundred years will gain nothing. Those who advocate remaining in Iraq unwittingly aid our enemies, providing validation for their hatred and recruiting scores to their cause. Edward Horn Baldwin, New York