2008 Woodie Awards
Hurtt's picture of Iraq highly inaccurate
Letter to the Editor
Issue date: 2/8/07 Section: Opinions
To the Editor:
I do not know where Matthew Hurtt gets the 'facts' he uses to support his opinions in his column "War's opponents skew truth to ensure victory." [Feb 1.] The only American victors in this war, regardless of the outcome, will be the contractors, such as Halliburton and Blackwater. Those companies and those that manufacture the weapons of war have reaped multiple billions of dollars, much of it squandered or unaccounted for. Among the losers are the more than 3,000 soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen who have lost their lives and the approximately 50,000 Americans who have suffered serious physical and mental injuries as a direct result of this brutal war. Don't forget the estimate of more than half a million Iraqis who have been killed since the invasion and occupation began in 2003.
Regardless of the outcome, the United States has been transformed in the eyes of many around the world from the aggrieved, sympathetic victim of Sept. 11, 2001, to a rogue nation whose "bring 'em on" president threatens pre-emptive war on any country that opposes his will. Meanwhile, prosecutors in Italy and Germany have issued warrants in separate cases for CIA operatives who they say were involved in illegal renditions or kidnappings. After an exhaustive investigation, Canada paid nearly $10 million in reparations to a Canadian citizen who was sent by U.S. authorities to Syria where he endured months of harsh treatment and, yes, torture before he was released. The United States has yet to acknowledge any error in its treatment of this individual.
It appears that Hurtt uses the same sources as President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and others, who refused to acknowledge a growing insurgency in Iraq until it could no longer be hidden under a blanket of lies and which now seriously threatens U.S. forces. Also, Hurtt states that the conflict "is restricted to Baghdad and the Al Anbar province. The rest of the country is returning to normalcy." If only that was true. In Gen. George W. Casey's confirmation hearing this week for the post of Army chief of staff, he acknowledged in response to a question by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, that an American might be able to walk down a street without being shot at in only about half of Iraq's cities or towns. Sen. Graham stated that we have screwed up in Iraq a thousand different ways. Still, Gen. Casey claims that victory is possible.
I do not know where Matthew Hurtt gets the 'facts' he uses to support his opinions in his column "War's opponents skew truth to ensure victory." [Feb 1.] The only American victors in this war, regardless of the outcome, will be the contractors, such as Halliburton and Blackwater. Those companies and those that manufacture the weapons of war have reaped multiple billions of dollars, much of it squandered or unaccounted for. Among the losers are the more than 3,000 soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen who have lost their lives and the approximately 50,000 Americans who have suffered serious physical and mental injuries as a direct result of this brutal war. Don't forget the estimate of more than half a million Iraqis who have been killed since the invasion and occupation began in 2003.
Regardless of the outcome, the United States has been transformed in the eyes of many around the world from the aggrieved, sympathetic victim of Sept. 11, 2001, to a rogue nation whose "bring 'em on" president threatens pre-emptive war on any country that opposes his will. Meanwhile, prosecutors in Italy and Germany have issued warrants in separate cases for CIA operatives who they say were involved in illegal renditions or kidnappings. After an exhaustive investigation, Canada paid nearly $10 million in reparations to a Canadian citizen who was sent by U.S. authorities to Syria where he endured months of harsh treatment and, yes, torture before he was released. The United States has yet to acknowledge any error in its treatment of this individual.
It appears that Hurtt uses the same sources as President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and others, who refused to acknowledge a growing insurgency in Iraq until it could no longer be hidden under a blanket of lies and which now seriously threatens U.S. forces. Also, Hurtt states that the conflict "is restricted to Baghdad and the Al Anbar province. The rest of the country is returning to normalcy." If only that was true. In Gen. George W. Casey's confirmation hearing this week for the post of Army chief of staff, he acknowledged in response to a question by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, that an American might be able to walk down a street without being shot at in only about half of Iraq's cities or towns. Sen. Graham stated that we have screwed up in Iraq a thousand different ways. Still, Gen. Casey claims that victory is possible.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 5
Stephen Hopkins
posted 2/08/07 @ 4:01 PM CST
This was an excellent letter to the editor!
It pinpoints one of the biggest problems our nation has -- ignorance. I find it generally amusing to hear the spin the neocons like to put on recent history and current events -- most of which seems to be centered around supporting death, destruction, and violence and motivated by a thinly veiled belief that all this will culimnate in the unfolding of a mythical prediction of "Rapture. (Continued…)
CarrieS.
CarrieScoggins
posted 2/10/07 @ 4:13 PM CST
Well, unfortunately the Clintonista's put our military under the UN control, and the UN sent us over there... They sent us to search the places where 'weapons of mass destruction,' might be, however, they called those places months ahead of our entering the nation to let them know that we were coming. (Continued…)
jon
posted 2/12/07 @ 4:45 PM CST
Ahh... excuse me, Bush removed the weapons inspectors that were making progress just days before launching his invasion. We had weapons inspectors in place - roaming freely and unarmed - securing ammo dumps (which since have been looted), no fly zones, and a multitude of surveillance. (Continued…)
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