U.S. Must Now Beg the U.N. for Assistance

So! After our heretofore decent Secretary of State Colin Powell suggested to the world that the United Nations could risk becoming “irrelevant” and was forced to sell his soul in front of a shrouded reproduction of Picasso’s “Guernica,” one of the greatest pleas for peace produced by the 20th century art world; after warmongering Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld spoke confidently and lightly about American troops being “put in harm’s way” (a trite euphemism for being killed); after Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft coughed up enough prayers and “nice” thoughts in front of a modestly veiled statue of Justice; and after the U.S. totally demeaned France, Germany and Russia for their disbelief in American and English lies and their consequent taking of a strong moral stand against war in Iraq -- now our unelected head of state and his draft-dodging cabal have the gall to beg the U.N. for help to get us out of the disaster we have created.

Call it what you will. I call it “eating crow,” and we deserve every foul mouthful, without the blessing of French fries.

Richard F. Cassady

Los Angeles

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The time to stop the damage in Iraq would have been before it started. However, we cannot in good conscience now leave without cleaning up the mess that we made.

Bob Scott

Oxnard

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Re “The Day After the Dictator,” Opinion, Aug. 24: It is utter hypocrisy for Sandinista spokeswoman Gioconda Belli to offer advice on Iraqi liberty. The transition from Anastasio Somoza to Daniel Ortega was a Cold War swap of dictators, not the noble, indigenous uprising that she portrays. Her criticism of the United States’ presence in Iraq conveniently overlooks the Soviet Union’s de facto occupation of her country during the 1980s. Ultimately, our objective for the Iraqi people is something that the Sandinistas and their Kremlin backers denied Nicaraguans: productive democracy that restores hope and freedom.

Jason Karpf

Thousand Oaks

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Re “U.S. Military Strength Called Lacking in Iraq,” Aug. 25: Mr. President, the military draft died 25 years ago this year. Can the return of a national military draft be close at hand?

Alan Morton

Fullerton

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All right now ... a quick show of hands. Before 9/11, how many of you would have invaded Iraq? No one? How about immediately after 9/11? Still no one? And one year later? Very interesting.

Fred Tilker

Yorba Linda