I am a Navy veteran from the Vietnam era and am struck by the similarities between the Vietnam and Iraq "wars." In both situations the administration used faulty information to manipulate Congress to support the war and, when it became obvious that U.S. continued presence was a waste of lives, both the Johnson and the Bush administrations refused to withdraw the troops. Vietnam war hero, Representative Murty (D- )(SB Tribune Friday, 11/18), was right to demand an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, claiming that our continued presence is strengthening the worldwide terrorist threat, not combating it.
It is not too late to benefit from the lessons we learned in Vietnam. Other countries will respect a superpower which admits that the Iraq war was a mistake and that we will withdraw before any further coalition and Iraqi lives are lost. As Representative Murty says, the military phase is over; it is time to leave the Iraqis to handle the political phase as best they can. We need an exit plan from Iraq and a very short timeline that starts now. The role of the U.S. now is to offer economic assistance for rebuilding the country we have destroyed.
Peter Smith
1036 N. Niles Ave
South Bend, IN 46617
574-289-2126