THE ISSUE: New strategies in Iraq, including changes in military leadership.
John Podhoretz writes, “When a building is on fire, you don’t stand around talking about how best to rebuild it. You have to put the fire out first” (“Smart, but Wrong,” PostOpinion, Jan. 3).
But as any firefighter will tell you, when a fire has gotten out of control, you don’t send more men into a dangerous blaze, you pull them out and let the fire burn itself out.
Leaders have a responsibility to protect as many lives as possible, not throw them away on wasted effort.
Benedicto Rodriguez
Atlanta
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The Iraq war has turned out to be an unmitigated disaster. The November elections sent a clear message to President Bush: Withdraw our troops, sooner, rather than later.
Gen. George Casey and his commanders know that this is a no-win situation, and the Iraq Study Group provided a map for a graceful exit from Iraq, but the president is not prepared to listen.
Louis Gelb
Hollywood, Fla.
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Casey is the latest in the list of generals who have been ignored and dumped by this commander-in-chief. But, unlike President Bush, our generals have years of experience in assessing a military situation.
Iraq is no more secure today than it was nearly four years ago.
We have the best-trained, equipped and motivated military, total control of the air and sea and massive firepower, yet we still haven’t defeated an Iraqi force in running shoes.
It’s time for our president to face reality – the majority of the 25 million people in Iraq want us out, and they are fighting to get it done. They, too, have a mission.
Peter Terrebetzky
Manhattan
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Bush coaxed Casey into sacrificing his family life to take over the reins in Iraq after his predecessor took the fall for the disrespect shown to Iraqi prisoners of war.
Bush has become desperate since the Democrats overwhelmingly won in November.
First, he had Donald Rumsfeld’s head, and now he is going after Casey.
Casey is a brilliant military man, and he should be welcomed home as a hero, not as a failure or loser. His goal was to get the job done and spare the lives of our soldiers. He was loyal to the president and followed directions passed on to him.
The buck stops at Bush’s feet. We all know that there will be a Democratic president in 2008, but, in the meantime, these so-called firings are only smoke screens to shield Bush from poor planning and bad decisions.
Ken Friedman
Manhattan
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Podhoretz likens Iraq to a burning building. Well, we were the ones who started the fire in the first place, and if the firemen on the scene – in this case, the military – are telling us that the blaze is out of control, the first thing we should do is get out of the building.
Lenny Levine
Bethel, Conn.
