Letters to the editor - New York Times

(not likely to see publication in that paper!)

First

In your story "Iraq Holy City Suffers Lack of Utilities and Pilgrims" the following comment is made "But he is quick to thank the Americans for putting down the Sadr uprising. "I'd hang Bush's portrait up there on the wall," he said, pointing across his cramped lobby, "but I feel afraid. I can't be sure of who's around."

This Najaf man claims he is afraid to hang up a picture of Bush because the insurgents might retaliate. How do we know that he is unafraid to speak the truth concerning who he credits (and appreciates) for putting down the Sadr uprising, when he is speaking to a NYT reporter? How was this verified? Do not occupied people sometimes tell the ones in power what they think they want to hear?

From what I have read by people living in Najaf (mostly emails, some blogs) what they truly feel is "a pox on both their houses" regarding the Sadr-US fighting in August. Also, I heard the number of dead Iraqi Civilians in Najaf from August 2004 was 950+, mostly from US bombing. I sure wish I had a news bureau who could investigate things like this, but alas, such does not exist in the USA today. Alas, Alas. Maybe the ACLU could investigate ......

Second

In your story "Iraq Holy City Suffers Lack of Utilities and Pilgrims" there is the statement that "The Americans have gone door to door assessing damage......and "The most the Marines have paid anyone is $2,500, usually for the accidental killing of a child..."

We are often told that the number of Iraqi civilians killed during this conflict it unknowable or uncountable by the US establishment media. It is seldom reported (outside of car bombings), and no discernable effort has been made to evaluate the overall total of deaths since this conflict started. The US Government, on the other hand, says via General Franks "we don't do body counts". Yet, I strongly suspect, that the Marines have to have some type of investigation before they hand over money "for the accidental killing of a child" and I also strongly suspect that they keep some kind of record of such a payment. Therefore, the number of dead Iraqi civilians may not be "exactly" knowable, but a fairly good estimate could be constructed from the military, hospital, and mortuary records.

Could the ACLU look into this maybe? They are doing a pretty good job with the torture scandal.

Third

Mr. Friedman writes in his column (When Camels Fly) that "The fact that the extremists and autocrats have had to resort now to unspeakable violence shows how much they have failed to win the war of ideas on the Arab street."

Would the flattening of Fallujah this past November indicate that the US has failed to win the war of ideas in Iraq? And is the establishment press ever going to take note of the fact that the USA has killed far, far, far more people than the "extremists and autocrats" that Mr. Friedman refers to?

Oh, yes, I forgot: we're doing it for good reasons, and failing to take note of the slaughter for good reasons also. Yes, yes. Oh, yes. How silly of me to forget.

"turned the stone and looked beneath it.... 'PEACE ON EARTH' was all it said.... do it in the name of heaven, YOU CAN JUSTIFY IT IN THE END....."