MB Civic

To the Editor:

At a time when the news from Iraq and Afghanistan has been consistently depressing, with little progress being made and with the toll in deaths and injuries of American troops escalating, as well those of innocent civilians, there is at long last some gratifying news: the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, one of the most barbaric, savage creatures to rear his ugly head in the modern era.

Mr. Zarqawi, Al Qaeda’s leader in Iraq, delighted in the slaughter of innocents, taking his hatred so far as to behead hostages personally.

Though the elimination of no one individual will end the jihad against America, the elimination of Mr. Zarqawi is a symbolic victory for the West and for the hope that evil shall be vanquished.

May this victory give a great lift to our fighting men and women and mark a turning point in our armed conflict. May we also be approaching the conclusion of the involvement of American troops.

Oren M. Spiegler

Upper Saint Clair, Pa., June 8, 2006

To the Editor:

The killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is the first bit of good news from Iraq since the capture of Saddam Hussein three years ago.

The rabid violence in that terrible country has been getting worse, and eliminating the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq has to be a good thing.

I do not know if America can pull out of Iraq at this point, but whatever we do, we will have gotten rid of one of our worst enemies.

Victor Chen

New York, June 8, 2006

To the Editor:

When Hitler died, it was a good thing. When Saddam Hussein was captured and taken out of commission, it was a good thing.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, has been killed, and that is a good thing.

Whatever else is going on in the world, whatever you dislike about the American government, it deserves credit for removing this barbaric murderer.

If Hitler had been killed in 1942, there would have been hordes of protesters calling President Franklin D. Roosevelt bad names, but today we know that it would have been a good thing. So it is with the killing of Mr. Zarqawi. Robert Harris

Chicago, June 8, 2006

To the Editor:

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a ruthless terrorist who initiated an orgy of death and destruction and was intent on slaughtering Muslims and non-Muslims alike, stoking the embers of hostility and enmity between Shiites and Sunnis and creating a climate of intimidation through the victimization of innocent peoples and the dismemberment of Iraq.

His elimination is a long-awaited and welcome contribution toward restoring peace, vibrancy and stability in a turbulent region.

But terrorism is not confined to individuals and organizations. The state can sometimes be involved in the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.

We must not rest until the war on all the strands of terrorism is won.

Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London, June 8, 2006

To the Editor:

Don’t get me wrong: I am glad to hear the news that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been killed. It is to be hoped that his death will result in the saving of American and Iraqi lives.

But I think that the reported euphoria is somewhat unbecoming. It reminds me of the television footage of Iraqis celebrating the deaths of American soldiers.

Michael Reyes

Bronx, June 8, 2006

To the Editor:

David Brooks tells us in “Savagery’s Stranglehold” (column, June 8) that “most Americans simply want to get away” when it comes to facing the horrible violence in Iraq.

That might be true, but it’s not the reason many Americans are calling for the withdrawal of our troops from Iraq.

Our point is that in Iraq, current United States policies will lead only to endless war, never to peace.

The terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may have been killed, but there are many people to take his place. The insurgents might not have a clear purpose, but they are certainly clear about their animosity toward American troops.

So our presence is galvanizing the insurgency, not, as Mr. Brooks would have it, serving to make the “decent Iraqi majority” any safer.

We might disagree about the use of violence, but I resent Mr. Brooks’s implication that war supporters have more of the moral high ground than those of us who advocate troop withdrawal. Irene Papoulis

West Hartford, Conn., June 8, 2006

To the Editor:

David Brooks begins his June 8 column by pointing out:

“Evil, meanwhile, contains the seeds of its own destruction. Those who lie, torture and kill eventually become entrapped by their own sins.”

For a moment, I thought he was going to write about the sins of the Bush administration that have entrapped us in an ever more horrifying and brutal war.

Peg Birmingham

Chicago, June 8, 2006

To the Editor:

In the context of the war in Iraq, David Brooks details the difficulty that decent societies have in fighting barbaric ones. This certainly is true. But it is a lapse not to mention that our society, with all its “honesty, virtue and decency,” began this war for immoral reasons. Bruce Shames

New York, June 8, 2006

To the Editor:

Re “Other People’s Blood,” by Bob Herbert (column, June 8):

Where is there any leadership in this country that can present a case to the American people concerning the madness in Iraq?

It is so clear that our violence in Iraq is destroying our reputation in the world as a bastion of freedom and is creating a feeding frenzy for those who would like nothing more than to present Americans, all Americans, as the true focus of evil in the world.

Have we as a people lost our senses? Where is the outrage? Is this war a reflection of our national morality?

Taking out Abu Musab al-Zarqawi will only fuel more violence. Where does it end?

The Bush administration has no answers. Mike Kupfer

Tuxedo, N.Y., June 8, 2006

To the Editor:

I agree with almost everything Bob Herbert writes about the carnage we have brought to Iraq by launching an ill-considered war that is being fought with other people’s blood and with resources borrowed from future generations while the children of the elite go unscathed.

But in considering what to do now, we cannot simply cut and run. The fact is that this war was authorized by Congress and begun by a president whose actions were ratified by the American electorate in 2004.

The American people, including the apathetic who chose not to vote, are responsible for inflicting mayhem upon the people of Iraq, who had no vote on whether an invasion of their country was worth the horrible price.

Simply put, this mess is our fault, and we cannot walk away from it and leave Iraq in anarchy. We should institute a draft and clean things up with the blood of everyone, rich and poor. Harold J. Smith

White Plains, June 8, 2006

To the Editor:

I agree with Bob Herbert that our nation is in deep denial with respect to Iraq, but I would suggest an additional explanation for our country’s seeming indifference.

The average American is preoccupied with other concerns, including making ends meet, job insecurity, trying to attend to each other’s and the children’s needs when both partners work, contending with congested roads, inadequate public transportation and long commutes to work that reduce family time.

Most people are so stressed out that Iraq takes a back seat to these concerns. While this is unfortunate, it is understandable.

John A. Viteritti

Southold, N.Y., June 8, 2006