Editor:

How can the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq be described as an “early U.S. pull-out” as it was in the local daily newspaper’s July 24 leading editorial?

Was it not our President George W. Bush who, over four years ago, stood on the battleship deck and declared victory in Iraq? In my opinion, Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiassen’s clever “better late than never-departed” is more aptly descriptive.

Another emotionally charged and shaming phrase with which I feel the editor manipulated his readers in the same editorial piece is the one of “throwing in the towel.” As an adult, I believe that if I am confronted with having made an error in judgment or, if what I have been trying to accomplish in one manner for sometime doesn’t seem to be working, then it is not a cowardly act of throwing in the towel to at least look at some other ways of doing things. Rather than proudly continuing down the same erroneous path, shaming those along the way who question my wisdom and calling them names like unpatriotic, I would think the responsible and mature thing for me to do would be to humbly admit my mistake, and then be open to considering other strategies. It is not a matter of throwing in the towel but more a matter of realistically accepting things as they are and having the humility and courage to make the necessary adjustments.

In my opinion, the strategy used over the last four-plus years in Iraq, which has resulted in over 3,600 dead American soldiers, clearly has not served to promote democracy (I believe I read somewhere that is our administration’s most recent excuse for being in Iraq.) Our president, well-intentioned as he may be, ignores the reality that the culture in Iraq is not conducive to a democratic form of government.

Agreed, we did not start the problems that exist in Iraq. They have gone on for thousands of years. However, we did start this war, and according to the newest intelligence findings issued by the federal government, we have exacerbated the problems that existed in that country. In addition, according to the newly issued report, we are no more safe from terrorists attacks now than we were before we invaded Iraq. In fact, the report states that we are now in even more danger.

There is no apparent reason to think that by following the same strategy (that is obviously not working) we will ever begin to solve those deep-seated religious and cultural differences among the various factions in Iraq. We did remove the heinous Sadam Hussein from power and that is an accomplishment for which this administration can be proud.

I am truly grateful to live in this country. As citizens of the United States of America, we have been greatly blessed; however, we are no more privileged than the citizens of any other country. If we honestly believe in the freedoms we espouse, we must learn to respect the rights of others to govern themselves as they choose, worship as they are called and if they choose, live within the cultural traditions to which they were born.

I call on citizens of all political persuasions to write their representatives in Washington. Encourage them to form a courageous and united front from both sides of the aisle to set a timetable for not an early pull-out but a responsibly scheduled withdrawal of our men and women from this no-win war which we started and will never be able to finish.