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Letters from our readers

Below we post a selection of recent letters to the World Socialist Web Site.

Editor,

Thank you for the intelligent, comprehensive reporting on wsws.org. I read the progressive Internet daily and I have found that I learn more and get a better grasp of the issues from reading one article on wsws.org then from all of the other sites combined. Your first part of “Bush’s Iraq commission and the ‘intelligence failure’ fraud” in today’s news is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. It sums everything up and gets to the heart of the issue while other sites and writers seem to struggle and search for a way to respond to Bush’s new “independent” commission propaganda spin.

I just want to say THANK YOU!

BC

7 February 2004

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Do not forget that Silberman was one of three Republicans—the others were Richard Allen and Robert McFarlane—who met with representatives of the Iranian government in July 1980. They never reported their contacts with the Carter government. This, of course, was during the hostage crisis and the election battle between Carter and Reagan-Bush. This was never adequately covered. The Miami Herald broke the story on the front page during the Iran-Contra scandal. But it stayed there. Even though the timing of the release of the hostages and the fact that arms shipments started right after the election through Israel. The only mention in the New York Times was an August 3 column by Flora Lewis.

This scandal raised the questions of outright treason.

DH

New York

7 February 2004

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I find the US and British secret service advice was absolutely correct. But it was that Iraq had no WMD with which to defend their oil that the present leaderships of the US and Britain hungered after.

A question: whose country is next?

The grim reapers in the US and Britain don’t wish to pay the free market price for resources whether it may be iron ore, copper, salt, aluminum, magnesium or other material needs. Instead they just invade and take. Under the guise of giving the world democratic governments they install more pliant stooges.

Yours,

DW

6 February 2004

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Sir,

At best, the WMD fiasco was a tragic intelligence community failure. At worst, the fabricated evidence of WMD was used as justification for the preemptive attack on Iraq, which was treasonous.

In either case the motivation for this war was oil and war profiteering. Is there another scenario?

Regards,

John McCarthy

Chairman of the Board of Veterans Equal Rights Protection Advocacy (VERPA)

10 February 2004

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On “Washington conceals US casualties in Iraq

I live in Northern Virginia, just outside of D.C. I have friends who are active military (Army), one friend in particular who is stationed as a guard at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He and some fellow soldiers were telling me one evening about the scene that went on when Pvt. Jessica Lynch came through there on her way back from Iraq. Feeling completely disrespected, they told me about how upsetting it was to them the way the media, TV in particular, treated her arrival as such a HUGE DEAL.

They specifically mentioned bearing no animosity toward Lynch herself (who is just another pawn) The ignoring of other returning wounded soldiers, many of whom have horrible injuries (legs removed, blinded, needing machines to help with bodily functions, etc.) is what made these guys angry. I could only listen and hope that the situation somehow improves.

Thanks, WSWS, for calling attention to this!

CV

4 February 2004

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Hi:

David Walsh’s article was excellent. Of course, the administration can’t let the people know what’s truly happening in Iraq, these guys learned very well the lessons of Vietnam.

I am reminded of Napoleon more and more these days. As the employment picture for young men and women worsens, no matter what their race any longer, the attraction of the military remains. Given the war, there are probably fewer recruits, but back in Napoleon’s time, the only possibility of eating regularly and being taken care of was in the emperor’s army. Granted many conscripts had no choice when the orders came, but I’m sure that sooner or later, we’ll be seeing that here too.

One optimistic sign for us is that many people I’ve spoken with realize that there are an awful lot of “accidents” occurring in Iraq, way out of proportion to what would be considered normal.

Maybe it isn’t too late and the American people will wake up to the monster in our midst. I know that if they wait for the press to tell them what’s going on we’re finished.

Thanks for the great site,

MC

4 February 2004

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I wish that the American citizens could be made more aware of this kind of information. If it were widely published then perhaps the public would demand to know the truth about our casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.

FC

6 February 2004

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On “Irbil suicide bombings aggravate tensions in northern Iraq

This excellent analysis discusses Bremer’s promise that the coalition forces would treat the PKK as terrorists. Back in October of 2003, my understanding is that the US government in exchange for Turkish peacekeepers promised to act against the PKK. Protests by the Kurds who threatened to attack them, and by the Iraqi puppet government forced the Turks to cancel the plan.

It was pointed out by regional experts that in the event we acted against the PKK the whole north could explode. While no one could be sure what the Iraqi Kurds would do, there was every likelihood they would take up arms against the coalition.

Now the possibility of direct American action against the PKK is once more on the table. But now it comes after the Kurds once again feel betrayed by the US and federation and Kurdish leaders have been speaking of the long history of the betrayal of the Kurds. What happened in 1991 and 1992 has not been forgotten, and apparently not forgiven either.

Bremer and the Bush administration are playing with fire.

RR

Orange Park, Florida

6 February 2004

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On “Britain: Liberal Democrats sack MP for ‘understanding’ the roots of Palestinian terrorism

Being very anti-Zionist myself, I find this read extremely agreeable. My views weren’t too popular in my synagogue, and many friends are surprised to find out I am Jewish if they hear me speak about Israel beforehand. I just loved reading this, and I forgot it was Jenny Tonge who said Americans should “bomb them with aid.” Not yet well educated myself, only a junior in high school, I find the World Socialist Web Site very informative and helpful and would like to thank everybody working for this site very much.

Yours,

BB

3 February 2004

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Reading this article makes me shiver. We, of this generation, were under the impression that as time goes by, the world we live in is supposed to evolve and make life better for humanity. Is that so? If we prevent people from expressing injustices in this world, we are not any better than the ones who wreak havoc all over this same world. Perhaps Mrs. Tonge touched a very sensitive subject but she is right in her thinking. A good medical doctor would certainly look into the cause of a disease and not the resulting effects. There is an old saying that probably resumes quite well the reactions from Mrs. Tonge’s declaration. Even though there are international laws that we developed from the quintessence of the world philosophers, just have a glance as the countries that do not abide by these logical rules. Is it perhaps because... “Who has the gold, makes the rules”? When one lives in his own “occupied” country and doesn’t even have access to their own water, it is perhaps time to have a very serious insight into one’s own conscience. I recognize the right of every human being to live decently. But this has to be true for everyone, not just some people. Let us practice a very simple rule, “live and let live.” This should be one’s leitmotif.

JV

2 February 2004

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US blocks UN proposal to combat obesity” by Barry Mason covers the essentials of the obesity problem and the complicity of the large food producers in this problem. These private corporations do not pay taxes in any real sense, so why should they care what happens in the world of public health? The beauty of capitalism lies in its ability to insulate the profiteers from ugliness.

PK

9 February 2004

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Dear editor,

Thanks for the article on obesity and the social and economic roots thereof.

In South Africa, McDonald’s targets primary schools by issuing vouchers to each and every child. If the voucher is handed in when the child purchases a meal specified on the voucher, McDonald’s donates R1 (about US15 cents) to the school. Many schools, which are suffering from lack of funds, willingly participate in such schemes.

My doctor has informed me that he is seeing an unprecedented increase in the number of children suffering from diabetes, primarily caused by obesity.

Regards,

EG

9 February 2004

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On “An appreciation of Warren Zevon: Grammys give belated recognition to an enigmatic pop musician

Thank you one thousand times for doing such an in-depth, sensitive, intelligent rave up of one of the most undervalued artists of the past...well, at least 34 years. Hemingway was right when he said every good story ended in death.

His fans might not have numbered much more than 140,000 on the typical record release, but that was no barometer to anything except the exceptionality of those people, and their good judgment.

Thank you for showing yours. As they say about “having game,” you got heart. The people on the alternate.music.zevon list appreciated this enormously, and I’m sure several have already written to tell you.

Maybe, sometimes, the good guys win.

Regards,

Dr. B.H.

8 February 2004

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Dear K. Reed,

A good read. Thanks for understanding Warren Zevon the way I, and his true fans, understand him.

JS

Bee Branch, Arkansas

9 February 2004

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