Editorial promoted Iraq ‘defeatism’

By HARRY R. GRISWOLD | West Salem, Wis.

The March 14 Tribune editorial (written by Richard Mial) promoting defeatism in our battle against international terrorism in Iraq was an insult to our troops who are bravely defending our nation.

Victory attained most efficiently (keeping deaths and injury of our troops to a minimum) takes time. We can have the greatest weapons and the finest troops, which I know we have, but if we do not have patience and perseverance to wear the enemy down to absolute hopelessness over time, then we will always lose.

Maybe Mial hopes we are defeated in Iraq. He certainly wrote on March 14 like he wants a cut and run defeat in Iraq that would expose our people to attacks on American soil.

Total victory in Iraq is attainable. All we need to do is persist. We are winning. Polls show that a substantial majority of the Iraqi people believe they are better off now than under Saddam Hussein.

The war we are waging against terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan has saved us from terror attacks at home for over five years since 9/11. The loser/defeatists threw away our victory in Vietnam. The outcome of this war is more important to our nation’s security than Vietnam, 3,000 innocent people died on 9/11. We have to make sure that never happens again.