Regarding the 11.6 million tons of equipment currently used by our troops in Iraq (as stated in Newsweek), if we need it to fight against Al Qaeda, the less trained Iraqi troops need it even more to be successful in the same fight. Any training needed for a proper usage of this equipment could be provided by a very limited number of US advisors or by bringing the Iraqis to the USA for skill drills. Instead of spending an additional $300 billion dollars waging the Iraq War for an additional three years, we could leave that equipment to the Iraqis, which would give them an upper hand in dealing with the insurgency. If we did that, nobody could say we betrayed and abandoned the Iraqis. Government support by a majority of the population, heavily armed, would have no chance of losing this war.

At the same time, we would be able to withdraw our troops within six months and buy completely new, improved equipment with the money we would save by not waging the Iraq War anymore.

But this plan would make sense only if the real intentions of the White House in Iraq matched its publicly proclaimed goals. This move would actually make the Iraqi government self-sufficient!

Kenan Porobic

Charlotte, NC

Newsweek's analysis on Iraq reflects the necessity to return 11.6 million tons of critical equipment. Based on the withdrawals from Viet Nam, Kosovo, etc., they calculate that under peaceful conditions, it would take over five years. It is delusionally unrealistic not to take that important factor into account. The presidential candidates (both D&R) are probably smart enough to know this, but just don't want to say so.

John D. Froelich

Upper Darby, PA

There is a limit to rationality before it crosses over into irrationality,

Neither George Bush, nor Congress, realizes that our future has long since crossed over and into the world of irrationality. And it had started before the invasion into Iraq. That blunder only highlights our step into stupidity.

Forget about the initial cause of our "war on terror," 9/11. That was only a gateway for the inmates to plan a reaction. Instead, measure the worth of our leaders by what followed.

And what followed was a plan fashioned in the world of irrationality. At which point all that was around turned into insanity. Yes, insanity. And that is the real reason for the continuing deaths of our soldiers and innocent civilians.

So, for the sake of one man's (and his henchmen's) irrational steps, we are all taking part in his irrational policy for further destabilization. It's the Big Bully with his Gang of neoconservative Republican robots, along with the spineless Democrats who are afraid to even suggest the idea of impeachment, that are responsible for this insanity. Unfortunately, this is the moral fiber of our current regime.

Yet being as we are, perhaps that is what we deserve, for we too have lost our spirit of Truth. Until we understand how to find and use our rational thought, all of us in this country will continue to be responsible for its demise.

Bohdan Yuri

Kennebunkport, ME

For all the people willing to use the WWII analogy in comprehending how to proceed in Iraq, it might be helpful to consider whether we are playing the role of the Nazis in this conflict. We are the occupying force in Iraq disliked by the locals. We could use the WWII analogy only if we were helping the Iraqis to kick out a hypothetical occupying force, let’s say Russia, Iran or Israel.

Kenan Porobic

Charlotte, NC