War: War needed to save lives

It is difficult to understand why so many Americans think that the war in Iraq is wrong.

As a veteran I know the horrors of war. I also know that when our nation is attacked a war is the only way to save lives: the lives and freedoms of innocent civilians who call America their home.

We lost more civilians on Sept. 11 than at Pearl Harbor. We were attacked, not by an individual nation, but rather by a Middle East conglomerate of people who are willing to kill innocent men, women, and children in order to satisfy their view of life or mindset.

If we had shown weakness we would have lost many more in additional attacks. This mindset bows only to strength.

How does one counteract this mindset? We could not attack all the countries exporting terrorism. The best way was to pick one of the countries that was ruled by a savage and corrupt dictator who robbed his own people of their money, lives, and freedom (plus harboring and funding terrorists and training camps). We hope the people in the Middle East get a taste of freedom from tyrants and that democracy is introduced to those countries that created and financed terrorists.

Freedom is contagious. Bush and his administration understood that we were not attacked by a group of nations per se, but rather by a mindset. Iraq was the example that allows us to reverse this mindset.

It is obviously working, otherwise the terrorists would not be slipping more of their comrades into Iraq to attack both Americans, their allies, and all the Iraquis who want the U.S. to stay and help them create their democracy. The terrorists know that once an Iraq democracy is established the terrorist mindset has been defeated. The only thing that keeps the terrorists still attacking is the indications that they receive from the U.S. media (and want-to-be presidents) who fear the war. If Americans can be proved to be weaklings or opposers, then the terrorists win. Like it or not, we are at war. In short, a good defense is a good offense. I’m with Bush. What’s your plan?

Bob Anderson

Oak Harbor

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