05/17/07 Why Is Bush Pursuing Unwanted War?

Why Is Bush Pursuing Unwanted War?

The Capital Times
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Don Timmerman Park Falls, Wis.

Dear Editor: One of the reasons given for continuing to fund the war in Iraq is if we did not then terrorism would increase both in Iraq and the U.S. According to the U.S. intelligence community's National Counterterrorism Center, there were 14,338 terrorist attacks last year, up 29 percent from 11,111 attacks in 2005. Forty-five percent of the attacks were in Iraq.

We can only conclude that terrorism has actually increased, not decreased, after our invasion of Iraq. Why should taxpayers continue to fund something that increases terrorism? Terrorism is not decreased by committing acts of terror.

As much as $13 billion given to the U.S. military in Iraq cannot be accounted for, and now taxpayers are supposed to dole out even more money to have their children face death and witness the atrocities committed in Iraq that are done in response to our invasion and occupation. This does not make sense.

President Bush claims that he wants the Iraqis to have democracy. Democracy involves more than voting. It means that the people have a say about their country. A recent poll shows that up to 80 percent of the Iraqi people do not want U.S. troops in their country, and 60 percent of Americans do not want to continue funding the war. If the president believes in democracy, why is he insistent on going contrary to the wishes of the people?

Where there is no justice, there is no peace. To continue funding an illegal and immoral invasion and occupation is senseless and counterproductive to both the Iraqis and the Americans.