Letter of the WeeQ

I applaud Senator Tom Harkin’s assessment of the war in Iraq (“3 Years Later, What Next in Iraq? Pull Out Troops Caught in a Sectarian Fight,” March 13 guest editorial). He states that it is the ongoing presence of United States forces that prevents Iraq’s leaders from resolving their political differences and forming a true national-unity government.

Seventy-two percent of U.S. troops believe we should get out this year. To those who say withdrawing too quickly would help terrorists, I say “staying the course” has resulted in a seemingly endless supply of terrorists.

After three years, the bombing and retribution killings are increasing, not decreasing. One of the Iraqi women touring the United States, Eman Khammas, told a packed audience of college students in Maryland, “The U.S. invasion has killed our people, ruined our lives and destroyed our country. It is responsible for the sectarian violence, and the sooner the foreign troops leave, the sooner we Iraqis can come together to rebuild our nation.”

— Delores Mulvihill, Grinnell.

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