Staying the Course -- or Perhaps Not -- in Iraq

Re “Even an Empire Needs Legitimacy. The Question Is, How Do We Win It?” Commentary, May 17: Halfway through Niall Ferguson’s piece, it became obvious I was reading a recycled sales pitch. U.N., Germany and France ... bad. President Bush, Iraq administrator L. Paul Bremer III and Iraqi Governing Council ... good. Marshall Plan ... another $50 billion ... wise installment ... er, investment ... bait ... switch. Somewhere, P.T. Barnum is wearing a big smile.

Peter Hughes

Los Alamitos

Arab leaders “reacted coolly” to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell’s expression of regret (May 16). Why is there no apology for the inhuman butchering of Americans Daniel Pearl and Nick Berg? Why doesn’t the U.S. demand an apology?

More double standards!

Leonard Minkle

Tarzana

Re “Troops Would Go If Interim Iraqi Leaders Asked,” May 15: Bush has stubbornly and repeatedly said “we will stay the course” in Iraq. Imagine my shock and awe when I saw Powell, Bremer and White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan saying we would leave, troops and all, if the interim Iraqi government asked us to. Or can we complete Bush’s ill-conceived “course” by July 1? Does this have something to do with the November presidential election? I can hardly wait.

Leonard R. Wines

Los Angeles

Re “U.S. Forces Move Against Cleric During Battle in Shiite Holy City,” May 15: I am beginning to wonder if there is a city in Iraq that isn’t “holy,” an edifice that isn’t “sacred.” And isn’t it just possible that “mosque” is simply the Arabic word for national guard armory?

Burt Prelutsky

North Hills

Literature quiz: Compare and contrast the tale of Br’er Bush in Iraq with the tale of Br’er Rabbit and the Tar Baby.

Norman E. Tipton Sr.

El Cajon

Dubya was quick (too quick, as it turns out) to claim “mission accomplished” credit when the war in Iraq was going well. Now that the wheels have come off and U.S. soldiers following orders are torturing and abusing prisoners, suddenly the war belongs to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

If you’re in charge, you’re in charge when things are going well and when they’re not. That’s true unless, of course, you’re Dubya, a part-time commander in chief who is making a lifelong habit of avoiding military service when it doesn’t suit him. Talk about being on both sides of an issue.

Brian Wilson

Glendale

Isn’t it interesting that the vast majority of our liberal politicians, who have been saying so loudly that they “support our troops,” have lost no time in besmirching and demoralizing those very same troops they profess to “support” by focusing on the misdeeds of a very few?

Peter E. Jonker

Laguna Beach