Promises must be kept

Re “Democrats unite on Iraq pullout plan,” April 24

As a lifelong liberal Democrat, I am saddened and appalled by the Democratic position that we should pull our troops out of Iraq without first stabilizing and reconstructing the country. The challenge is to establish ourselves as friends and allies to the people and the governments of the Middle East, not as enemies and occupiers.

We were misguided by President Bush going into Iraq, and he has the wrong reasons for wanting to stay. But now we would be equally foolish to pull our troops out without setting this battered, abused and weakened country back on its feet.

We didn’t batter and bomb Germany and Japan into submission and then leave them to recover on their own after World War II, and we would be ill-served in the long run to do that in Iraq.

ROGER ANGLE

Culver City

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Bush states: “Politicians in Washington shouldn’t be telling generals how to do their job.”

Does West Point give classes in long-term occupations of foreign countries against the will of their citizens? Does it have guest lecturers in settling rifts between religions and their factions? Do generals have some special knowledge that would stop a repressed majority from seeking revenge after the ruling tyrants are overthrown?

Are Arabic and Farsi part of the language requirements to graduate in our military colleges?

Of course we don’t want to demoralize our soldiers by bringing them home, when it’s obvious that they are all thrilled to stay in Iraq to bring the Iraqis the same freedoms our other allies, such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, have.

HAROLD WALTER

Northridge