Trying to do the right thing by Iraq and the United States

We have now been in Iraq for the past four years. Since we have been there, I have heard of all the evil things that happened. For instance, what our American troops did to the Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. We have invaded many towns and even reportedly killed many people who may have been innocent.

The many nations that originally supported us in 2003 and followed us into Iraq are now slowly pulling out of Iraq. Not only that, many of the countries have lost respect for us. As a very patriotic American, this saddens me. This is what we call negative aspects. Where did all the love go?

Since entering Iraq, we have done many great things for the people there. Our troops have helped build new schools. After their shifts ended, these men and women would go and build hope for a younger generation. We have made many citizens of Iraq feel very comfortable protecting them.

I don't understand why the rest of the world calls us the police. If doing the right thing and protecting these people by establishing a new government is wrong, and we're the only country that cares enough, it is very sad.

If other people would get something called common sense and not just follow what they hear from other misinformed people, maybe we would all be a little bit happier.

Dario DeGiovani

Malverne

In "Rudy: Boost the Army" [News, May 6], Rudolph Giuliani called for "at least 10 new combat brigades, about 35,000 soldiers, to fight wars and terrorism around the world." He was clearly pandering to his audience at the Citadel, a military school, but arguing that a 6 percent increase over what is planned already is enough for this new "mission accomplished" is as delusional as anything from the Bush administration.

Has Giuliani forgotten Gen. Eric Shinseki, who lost his job as Army chief of staff for warning Bush & Co. before the war that the job would need several times the small force used?

Giuliani owes his national prominence solely to 9/11. Yet, he still fails to understand that protecting a country against terrorism is basically a law-enforcement problem, not one for big armies in foreign parts.

That's how the first attack on the World Trade Center, the one in Oklahoma City and now the Fort Dix case were reportedly solved. The groups are small and local, whoever else inspires them, not run by some global mastermind. Whether here, in Britain, Spain or elsewhere, success came from tips, infiltration, good detective work and cooperation with other countries.

Giuliani also ranted against a so-called peace dividend that, he says, weakened the armed forces in the Clinton years and was "one of our country's worst mistakes." Wrong! Didn't happen! Instead, cold war-style weapons programs continue, such as an anti-missile system that doesn't (and can't) work, fighter planes that have no enemies and more arms spending than the rest of the world combined.

A real peace dividend should have been used for reviving our manufacturing, stopping the country from falling apart, propping up the dollar, cutting out imported oil and tackling global warming. As to the "worst mistake," we're right in it now and Giuliani's party is running it.

John E. Ullmann

Editor's note: The writer is professor emeritus at the Frank Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University.

Hempstead

So British Prime Minister Tony Blair is stepping down, the Iraqi parliament wants to take a two-month hiatus, and the Israelis are demanding their prime minister resign.

If all this is true (and it is), would it be too much to ask that President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney also step down and that someone arrange to bring our troops home, because it sure looks as though it's "Mission Accomplished." Had enough of this disastrous scenario? I sure have.

Herb Stark

Massapequa

Teens just need to go speed limit

Regarding "Educate teens on parkway use" [Letters, May 14], with the opinion that "we need to educate drivers - especially young drivers": Our young drivers already have all the education needed to drive on our parkways safely. We do not need still another course taught in our public schools.

Our young drivers learned how to read in the lower grades. All they need to know (and obey) is the posted speed limit, and that is a maximum of 55 mph.

Also, as spelled out in the drivers' manual, they should slow down during inclement weather.

If they did, our parkways would already be safe to drive.

If they did, we would have more of our young drivers around to raise their own youngsters.

Paul Denhoff

Bay Shore

Payback time for politicians

After reading "After report, biggest raise was in your voice" [News, May 15], on the salaries of elected officials on Long Island, I have the following suggestion:

All town, county, state and federal elected officials should voluntarily give back $1,000 from their salaries to the taxpayers each year and voluntarily contribute at least a small percentage toward the cost of their health insurance benefits.

Although this may not cure all of Long Island's tax problems, it will send a message to the taxpayers that their elected officials are listening.

John Schettino

West Islip

Liberal bias cuts into readership

Regarding "Better read than dead" [Opinion, May 13]: The writer, Porter Bibb, presents all kinds of strategies about what has been and needs to be done by the print media to stop the pervasive loss of readership. In his view, several of the more promising moves would be employee ownership through stock options and journalist managers, thereby "connecting with the public" and regaining credibility.

He is missing the big picture, which is the 300-pound gorilla in the newsroom. The well-documented liberal bias that permeates the industry is one of the major reasons for the loss of credibility.

Employee ownership and journalist managers will not be a solution because they are part of the problem. What is needed is a serious commitment to fairness.

Walter McCarthy

Massapequa

LETTERS become the property of Newsday. They will be edited and may be republished in all media.

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