The American Spectator

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p> THE CORRY WARS br> Re: John Corry's A Historic Blunder : /p>

For many years I have with fondness and interest read The American Spectator, and John Corry's Presswatch column in particular. I write this cautionary note with utmost friendliness to Mr. Corry, re his piece of 21 July 2003 (excellent, as usual). He concedes rather more than is necessary, I think, in saying we have no proof that "Iraq was working hand in glove with Al Qaeda" or that "none (of Iraq's WMD) has been found".

I've seen pieces on the Weekly Standard's website over the past couple of months that suggest just the opposite. A WS writer noted that the New York Times itself ran an anti-U.S. story that blamed us for Iraqis having poisoned themselves with radiation. Seems that civilians had entered a nuclear site and swiped drums to use for water storage. The takers dumped out the uranium (!) the drums contained. The story opined (I don't recall if that was the Times or the Standard) that the uranium discovered would have by itself provided more than sufficient material to produce radioactive (or "dirty") bombs for detonation. No WMD?

Likewise, the Standard has at least twice run stories about a Baghdad newspaper's naming an Iraqi intelligence officer assigned to liase with Osama bin Laden. This publication occurred in 2002, as I recall, long after 11 Sep 01. As the paper was run by one of Saddam Hussein's sons for Saddam's benefit (and his version of the truth), may we not take Hussein's interest in bin Laden's work as a given? If Great Britain could go to war over seaman Jenkins' ear being sliced off, I should think that Iraq's own admission of official connection to Al Qaeda and possession of terrorist training grounds (e.g. Salman Pak) gives us sufficient causa bellum. The esteemed Senator Levin ought to be asked the question: what provocation he thinks we would need to go to war. He seems to believe that hijacked airliners, thousands of citizens dead, and direct attacks on our national command authorities don't make the cut.

p>Please accept this letter as encouragement from an engaged reader, not meaning in any way to be picky or combative. Keep fighting the good fight of faith for truth in our public press. br> -- David James Hanson br> Fayette, Iowa /p>

John Corry's "A Historic Blunder" is historic blather. He wrings his hands about the "deteriorating situation" in Iraq that the unthinking ideologues in the Bush administration have gotten us into. The problem is, things aren't deteriorating. Security is improving, basic services are largely restored, the establishment of a new Iraqi government is moving forward. Yes, there are still some old regime holdouts shooting at us, but the fact that they are inflicting one or two more casualties a week than they were a few weeks ago doesn't constitute a "deteriorating situation." The only "deterioration" going on is in the stateside PR war, thanks largely to the-sky-is-falling journalists like Corry, and the mainstream press that headline the news of every solitary military death with "CASUALTIES CONTINUE TO MOUNT."

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