MB Civic

To the Editor:

Re “Bush Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq to Press Leadership” (front page, June 14):

President Bush’s surprise visit to Baghdad — a trip that was kept a secret even from Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki until the last possible moment — was an unwitting demonstration of United States domination in Iraq.

In what other country could an American president land his plane without the knowledge of that country’s leader?

The answer is that it could happen only in a state “occupied” by the United States military. Only in a state whose airspace we control. Only in a state without real government autonomy or authority — like Iraq.

Byrwec Ellison
Fort Worth, June 14, 2006

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To the Editor:

There is no need to congratulate President Bush for his surprise visit to Iraq. It was long overdue.

The fact remains that the president and his administration made this mess, and if anything, he should be required to stay there until he cleans it up.

It is unfortunate that our brave troops do not have the same daylong tour of duty served by the president.

Stafford Matthews
Tiburon, Calif., June 14, 2006

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To the Editor:

Re “Seizing on a Step Forward” (news analysis, front page, June 14):

I see President Bush’s trip to Iraq as yet another sign of the desperation of this administration about this disastrous war. It’s like this: “What can we do next to make this thing turn around? How about a quick trip to Baghdad?”

It reminds me of when President Lyndon B. Johnson went to Vietnam to rally the troops. He was also a desperate man seeking a way out of the quagmire of that era.

I do not believe that the Bush administration has a clue about how to get out of Iraq, and its officials just move from one ad hoc tactic to another, hoping something will work.

Then again, what else should we expect from a president who ignored all the warnings of what would happen if we attacked Iraq and tried to occupy that country in the first place?

John Woods
Madison, Wis., June 14, 2006

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To the Editor:

Re “Too Soon to Cheer in Baghdad” (editorial, June 14):

You continue to deride the war effort, and the president’s determination to bring freedom and liberty to that dangerous part of the world.

Instead of cynically labeling the presidential visit a “publicity stunt,” you should consider that perhaps your readership would like to hear something other than the usual anti-Bush drumbeat.

John Schlager
Springfield, N.J., June 14, 2006

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To the Editor:

What exactly was the purpose of George W. Bush’s Iraq visit other than to squeeze a few more days’ worth of news coverage out of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s death?

How does this event translate into the perfect time for President Bush to hold a strategy session with the Iraqi prime minister after having avoided the country for almost the last three years?

There was no warning, no agenda, no intended outcomes and no opportunity for the prime minister to prepare. Two words come to mind: political opportunism.

But just as wearing a flight suit with a “Mission Accomplished” banner in the background does not win the war, preening for the cameras with smiles and backslaps for the Iraqi prime minister will not win the peace.

Diane Bancroft Watson
Scottsdale, Ariz., June 14, 2006

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To the Editor:

Someone should point out to Karl Rove that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi would likely not have existed as a terrorist leader if President Bush’s Iraq adventure had not provided the perfect environment for his cruelty.

It’s a clever political maneuver: Create a monster and then take credit for slaying it.

Nancy F. Smith
New York, June 14, 2006