Bush's War [UPDATE]

On July 21st the Saint Paul Pioneer Press ran a letter I'd written about the Iraq war, defending it as a crucial battlefront in the War On Terror. On Sunday July 31st they ran a letter in response. To my surprize it appeared to be something of an endorsement of my words... Or so it seemed.

I'll let you be the judge if this writer is a 'grab 'em by the nose and kick 'em in the ass' kinda guy or simply a master sarcastic. (The text of the letter he is responding to will follow)

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We Are The Targets

I agree with letter writer Craig Willms that we should all wise up and realize we are at war and are the targets of jihadists. Have you noticed the lack of any positive action taken on our part in rounding up and bringing to justice these jihadists? Not even any hand slapping. We should be issuing national ID cards and deporting anyone not legally here. Anyone caught plotting anything bad shouth be dealt with very harshly.

None of this refurbishing at taxpayer expense and turned loose to wage war on us again, as is being done at Gitmo. Do you think American captives are given Bibles and good food before being beheaded by jihadists? Think again, brother.

We need some George Pattons and MacArthurs (and maybe a few George Wallaces).

If you aren't old enough to remember George Wallace, read some American history.

Art Usher
Grasston MN


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Bush's War

Nothing is bigger than defeating the global jihad

Dear Editor,


I sincerely hope this newspaper intends to print some fact filled letters to balance what you printed on July 10th. ("Mission (not) Accomplished")

There was no rush to war in Iraq. The current conflict was twelve years in the making. Saddam Hussein had violatednumerous UN resolutions and bilked average Iraqis out of billions with the "oil for food" scandal. Saddam Hussein was a terror sponsor and an aggressor who was patiently waiting out the sanctions imposed on him by a toothless institution (the United Nations).

Lest we forget that it was President Bill Clinton who signed the resolution that made it the policy of the United States to work for regime change in Iraq. Saddam also sheltered known terrorists, sponsored Palestinian suicide bombers. Simply put, he was a terrorist.

One letter writer chided President Bush for imploring Americans not to "balk at doing big things". I can think of nothing bigger than defeating the global jihad that has as its goal the total destruction of Western Civilization.


Sincerely, Craig Willms


CW