Letters to the Editor, January 24, 2004

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I read the subject article on your site. Near the bottom of the article is the sentence, “Security concerns were highlighted again Wednesday by a bomb attack near the northern city of Mosul that left six Iraqis, a Turkish driver and three coalition soldiers injured.”

I suggest that future articles specify the nationality of the soldiers rather than apply the adjective, “coalition.” The term coalition lends credence to the false impression of that the occupiers of Iraq are composed of a broad cross-section of the world’s nations, when only the U.S. and Britain have any real presence. In truth, few in the world actually support such extra-territorial adventuring.

Editor: You're right. Generally, the reference to coalition soldiers means US soldiers unless specified otherwise. The resistance is usually in central Iraq and it's targeting US forces. It's almost impossible to edit every word in all the daily articles published. But I welcome readers' observations, which function as alerts to such inaccuracies in news reporting. Thanks.

I am 4th year student in English department, in an Algerian university (Ferhat Abbas university-Setif) . I am preparing my dissertation to obtain licence degree, it is about US foreign policy: at a crossroads (what they say and what they do).

I will be very indebted if you help me with documentation on this theme.
with all the respect

Editor: Read my editorials. Then, go to the Opinion Editorials Section, majority of the articles are about the US foreign policy.

I think that Marvin's idea of the University is on time. His words are true, and insulting only to those who have not accepted the principle of progress through criticism and self-criticism: negation of the negative can precede only once one is conscious of the negative as a negative - which is the purpose (if not duty) of criticism. What appears as a "resurrection" by Marvin is in reality the liberation of a revolutionary tradition from its suppression by artificial mass culture beginning with Superfly and Disco Duck. Right on, Marvin! Get down! Marvin! Keep the Revolutionary Spirit conscious and alive!

Muhajir, Your Manifesto is an absolutely incredible history lesson and a very tangible legacy. With this reading, our children and their children will know where they come from and what they have to do to go somewhere sane. I consider this a Sacificial Offering of covered in blood that should appease the God and help sanctify us.

President Bush, chastened after his failure to ferret out any Weapons of Mass Destruction, supposed to be hoarded by Saddam, quickly changed his tune to claim that the invasion was actually meant to liberate Iraqi people from the brutal dictatorship of Saddam and usher in a new wave of democracy in the Arab Middle East.

The declared noble aims are now come to haunt, as the undisputed leader of the 60 percent of Iraqi people, all of whom the persecuted Shias, has consistently demanded that democracy without direct voting will be anything but democracy.

The US is now trying to find excuses to wriggle out of the public commitment to the whole world, that is watching Bush maneuverings with deep concern. If the 60% Shia Iraqis are not given a fair chance to win direct elections and rule Iraq in the name of democracy, there is a certainty that Iraq will never find peace in a hurry.

As US President election dates are fast approaching, President Bush wants to undo the damage of his unilateral decision to invade Iraq and open his country to another probable Viet Nam experience. His dilemma is as stark as a summer Baghdad day. He will have to choose peace with a Shia rule or risk more havoc with US-chosen Iraqis on the Provisional Governing Council trying to hijack the country for the sole interest of their patron.

Given the situation prevailing in the Middle East, an elected Shia leadership will not necessarily be unfriendly to the US and the West, unless the US itself chose to quiver the pitch with onerous demands on the sovereign rights of the newly freed nation.

The intervention of UN, to facilitate free and fair election should be the only credible alternative that the world would approve in shifting their sympathies from Saddam to the newly elected legitimate government of Iraq, if only Kofi Annan is convinced that the US is not out to manipulate a free election through the medium of the UN and endanger the credibility as well as the physical safety of UN personnel.