Letters

Credibility gap on WMD’s

David Kay’s report on the absence of Iraqi weapons programs must have landed with a thud on the president’s desk, not to mention Don Rumsfeld’s head. A humbled and bemused Kay had concluded that there were, after all, no WMDs in Iraq or active programs capable of producing them, and that this had been the case for many years.
Kay detailed how a successful combination of UN inspections, international sanctions and key Clinton bombing sorties had eliminated Iraq’s WMD capabilities. Kay reported that Saddam’s grip on power had even appeared to be fading prior to the war, his advisors simply humoring the increasingly deluded and isolated leader.
Nevertheless, the White House continues to preposterously maintain that Saddam somehow presented a “clear and gathering threat” to the American people, one that justified a U.S. invasion which has now claimed the lives of more than 520 service men and women, with thousands more crippled and wounded and no real end in sight. Evidently, the president’s handlers feel comfortable, for now, in relying on the seemingly boundless credulity of the American people, a rather slim reed, it seems to me, on which to base an entire electoral campaign. Still, when it comes to cynicism, I’m no Karl Rove.

Cord MacGuire Boulder CO

Memory problems

Why on earth would President Bush need a commission to investigate why he went to war with Iraq? Everyone knows he lied to do it. Here we go again with yet another useless debate about facts. If he would just take one of those memory enhancing drugs or supplements I hear advertised all the time on the radio, he’d remember what he did.

A readerVia e-mail

Citizens abroad oppose war

I am an American who moved to Germany in 1976. I and another American comrade are in the German CP (DKP). We both studied at Berkeley and are both active in the Munich-American Peace Committee (www.mapc-web.de), which, in turn is part of the new “American Voices Abroad” (www.americanvoicesabroad.net) peace and justice coalition.
If you would look at the web sites and report on what progressive U.S. citizens abroad are doing to fight the U.S. imperialist policy, domestic economic and repression policies, U.S. comrades would be heartened. I send you solidarity.

J. SchevitzFuessen, Germany

What about Kucinich and Sharpton?

I am writing in regards to your article in the People’s Weekly World, “Voters riled by war, health costs, economy” (PWW, 1/31-2/6). I would only like to request that you make a conscious effort to include the likes of Congressman Kucinich and Rev. Al Sharpton when you write about Democratic Party candidates. The mainstream media has virtually ignored them and I believe that your newspaper should be one to count these candidates simply because they are candidates just as much as the other five, regardless of their chances.
Disregarding them is inaccurate coverage. Disregarding them is also an undermining of democracy on the part of mainstream media. Unfairly and unequally spotlighting selected candidates is a very serious problem which a volunteer group of mine is struggling with and trying to bring attention to throughout this campaign.
What’s more, Kucinich and Sharpton are the only candidates running for a major party nomination whose platforms are anywhere close to coinciding with the views of the People’s Weekly World, not to mention that they are perfect pictures of noteworthy activists.

Nik RitchieVia e-mail

Editors note: We agree. The omission of Kucinich and Sharpton from the results of the New Hampshire primary was due to an editing error. We have reported on their campaigns in other articles, and will continue to do so. We very much agree with the points you make about the importance of these candidacies and their progressive programs. The Kucinich, Sharpton and Moseley Braun candidacies have brought important issues into the debate and helped move the overall campaign in the fighting direction that is needed if we are going to defeat Bush in November.

Likes Iraq coverage

I found Susan Webb’s articles on the World Social Forum and U.S. business looting of Iraq articles very clear and informative. Thanks so much!

Paul LeuenbergerVia e-mail