letters

SPECIAL SESSION '07

Remember it in '08

Gov. Tim Pawlenty, worried that he might lose control of the legislative process, sent a letter to the Minnesota Legislature at the beginning of the special session Tuesday night nervously stating, "I hope a deal is a deal." He had effectively limited the special session to flood relief measures.

Come election day 2008 it is my hope that voters say "a deal is a deal" and they go to the polls knowing that Pawlenty has squandered many chances to make Minnesotans safer and smarter during his administration. This special session was yet another missed opportunity!

SUSAN ESTILL, BURNSVILLE

PETRAEUS BEFORE CONGRESS

Iraq policy debate

I wish that a congressman on Monday or a senator on Tuesday had asked Gen. David Petraeus, "Do you agree that the invasion of Iraq was a monumental foreign-policy blunder?"

That question and his answer would have set the stage for a rational discussion of the war's current status.

RAY WARNER, EDINA

Numbering the deaths

In light of Gen. David Petraeus' report to Congress on the progress of the war in Iraq, I have a question: How many more Iraqis must be killed in order to bring democracy to Iraq?

Perhaps a second question is more appropriate for America: How many more Americans must die to accomplish this unattainable goal?

GARY DUNN, ANDOVER

Why progress is unlikely

The responses by Gen. David Petraeus seemed honest. He honestly does not know if and how America will be safer by continued pursuit of the Bush administration's unprovoked war. As an Army veteran, I would have gladly served under his command.

However, true improvement in Iraq will be self-evident, if it ever happens. The dog-and-pony shows earlier this week in Washington won't be necessary, and we won't have to be subjected to charts and statistics to convince us that we can "win," when the reality seems quite the opposite.

The Iraqi "government" (if you can call it that) has likely been the recipient of massive bribes from L. Paul Bremer and Paul Wolfowitz, and they want us there for a long time, in the situation that now exists. Not because they think we're helping them, but because every sentient being in the world knows that this is sapping us militarily, economically and personally through loss of life, limb and loved ones. The sects that exist there have absolutely no reason to stand down now. If they do, they'll never get another chance to garner control over power and resources. So they continue.