LETTER: The war will help Iraq

Editor,

I am writing in response to the column by Jim Steitz that appeared in The Statesman on April 7.

Mr. Steitz basically calls this war a war on an innocent nation, Iraq, and compares the administration to the Third Reich. Mr. Steitz and his kind are on the wrong side of history.

If this war is not justified, when IS war justified? And for those of you who say never, just save it. The president of the United States has sworn with an oath to defend this country. That is his job.

Our first concern as Americans ought to be with our own security, then the security of our allies, then the rights of people who are in bondage. Thankfully we have someone in the Oval Office with the guts to stand up and face reality even if the United Nations would not.

Many who share the anti-war mindset base their opinions on lofty theories and ideals. But back here in reality, there will always be tyrants and dictators. There will always be threats to the United States and the rest of the world.

They don’t just go away by others showing goodwill.

For Mr. Steitz to equate the administration to Nazi Germany is a spastic, knee-jerk reaction which only serves to trivialize horror faced by those who suffered and died because of Hitler.

When this is all said and done, Iraq is going to be rid of its tyrant, the region will be a little more democratic, and the United States will have protected itself from a bigger disaster than Sept. 11.

Brian Smith