Dear FRONTLINE,Thanks for the unbiased documentary? I especially enjoyed the sequence of shots showing the Kurds being mowed down on the road to Turkey while George Bush is paying golf. What was the unbiased picture you were showing? What exactly were you trying to say, "Look George didn't really care because he was playing golf." I also enjoyed seeing journalists from the left leaning New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, and The New Yorker. Thanks for throwing in the token conservative journalist, Bill Kristol. If ever I questioned my lack of contributing financially to your organization I will watch this "unbiased documentary".
greenvill, nc
Dear FRONTLINE,
Your in-depth story on "The Long Road to War" was insightful and timely. If more americans were aware of Hussein's background and many of his ploy's to elude the U.N. inspectors perhaps there would not be so many against our iminent confrontation. I appreciate your show and all that goes into its production. Terrorists must know now and for all time that we (The U.S.) will not give up on tracking them down and disrupting their efforts to hold the world hostage. Any sign we give them to the contrary might as well be a signal of raising the white flag. Not an option. Thanks!
Warren Watters
placida, florida
Dear FRONTLINE, Tonight's program underscored some of the fundamental reasons that many Americans have deep ambivalence about going to war with Iraq. First, few Americans or any other citizens of the world doubt that, like Stalin, Saddam Hussein is a brutal head of state and has never hesitated to use violence to maintain his power. The reality that is undeniable is this, though; Former President Bush left Hussein in power, gave him the political and military means to entrench his regime, and left Clinton with a public opinion that the situation was tidy and needed no more attention and risking of American soldiers. If President Bush were advocating that we go mop up the mess that we created as a way to beg the forgiveness of the Iraqi people, I would feel okay about it. That is not the case, though. As the program pointed out, President Bush is putting forth a moral, global reformist brand of American foreign policy that has not been seen in this country since we were actively trying to undermine communism, except now it's under the banner of stamping out terrorism. And like communism, critics cannot speak too loudly for fear of being tainted as un-American or, worse, neglecting national defense.
Fritz Vandover
st. louis, missouri
Dear FRONTLINE, After watching tonight's documentary, The Long Road to War, I felt as though I should weigh in on the matter, since it seemed to be very biased in it's opinions of George W. Bush. It made him out to be a warmonger, who will stop at nothing to go to war, while, ironically, saying almost nothing about the haneous crimes against humanity that Saddam has committed. However, I had to laugh at the notion that Bush is merely trying to 'democratize' the Middle East, and Iraq is the first step of this process. How absurd is that? Bush did not merely close his eyes, touch a map, and "BAM", Iraq was the target. Sadaam has been violating U.N. sanctions for twelve years, and the security counsel has done nothing but appease him by drafting resolution after useless resolution. We know that Iraq is a terrorist state, we know what Saddam is capable of, now somebody with a backbone needs to stop him, before he actually uses these weapons of mass destruction (weapons Saddam now admits he had but "got rid of"). There is one thing that you did have right, and that is that September 11th gave the Bush administration an excuse to get rid of Saddam. When you see what a bunch of American-Hating terrorists can do with a few planes, you hate to think of their capabilities when they climb into bed with an American-Hating regime armed with the weapons that Saddam has. I would call it more of an eye-opener, than an excuse.
Greg Hansen
draper, ut
Dear FRONTLINE, Thanks for the excellent and easily understood summary of the road we've traveled to this eve of war. If only everyone could have seen it. We Americans seem to be a complacent lot. How soon we forget. This is not about oil. It is about freedom and security. I believe that the time may be now to stop trying to manage the world and start changing it. Hasn't September 11th taught us that we need to be proactive and not reactive? How else can we ensure our grandchildren's future - their freedom? Well done folks!
Lloyd Smith
honey brook, pa
Dear FRONTLINE, Thanks very much for The Long Road to War. I feel it was very informative, but was disappointed in the lack of information about terrorists connections in Iraq. That is the key to whether not attacking Iraq is valid. One speaker very briefly stated that Iraq is not heavily involved with terrorist activity while allies such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are. Your program elucidated many points that make the logic of a war with Iraq dubious, but what is the right course to defend America from terrorism.
David Mohan
houston, texas
Dear FRONTLINE, Thank you for a very open discussion on the problems with Iraq. My wife and I have been in the gray areas when discussing and/or understanding the international problems where the United States seems to be "butting in where it is not wanted". Now we have firm information on which to base our discussions and come to educated decissions. I have found it very difficult to plan our future events {investments, travel, retirement} without such straight forward and concise information.
Sincerely submitted.
Edward Gaskins
mt. airy, n.c.
Dear FRONTLINE, I saw your special regarding the coming war against Iraq. It is my strong opinion that this war is wrong and in no way in the best interest of the people of the United States. I don't understand what makes this administration think that occupation and regime change is the most effective solution to the Iraqi dilema and that it would be beneficial to the American people. Lets look closely at the Spanish American War and the end result of years of US intervention in the Spanish Caribbean. We have the nation of Cuba under the control of Fidel Castro's regime that for decades has arogontly defied the United States. Lets look at the island of Puerto Rico which after the Spanish American War has been for more than 100 years under United States occupation. Where billions of tax payer dollars have been used to subsidies the islands economy. A community and culture that still hasn't completely assimilated to the mainstream American culture and adopted English as its main language. Is this the plan our administration has for Iraq? I think that the Iraq will be more difficult to successfully achieve occupation and regime change with stronger chances of severe geo-political backlash occuring.
Edwin Villanueva
north miami beach, florida
Dear FRONTLINE, Thank you for "A Long Road to War." And this place to write down my thoughts. Though I think of myself as dedicated to peaceful solutions to problems, I find myself--as a result of the knowledge gained from the program--asking when might military force be necessary. I suddenly seek greater understanding. As an lifelong athlete, playing countless games in which stated rules, and, usually, a referee, govern player conduct and insure the enjoyment and safety of players, a question in my mind is what are the global rules and could the, and why isn't the, UN acting as the referee? And as a former teacher and soon to be parent, I understand that using one's power to direct certain scenarios will result in preventing and resolving situations that might be harmful and dangerous. So maybe the US should take military action against Iraq. The years of decisions made by the US government regarding Iraq may follow a logical stream, but, as the Frontline program pointed out, they have miscalculated Hussein. (And a broader history demonstrates that US policies in other countries have often not left those countries better off.) I fear that our use of military strength will create a situation similar to when in a contact sport, one player is too aggressive (or maybe perceived to be) and sets of retaliations from other players--even when there is a referee. In a sports game there is a time clock that runs out to end the escalation; in the world, time keeps going. There is much about which I wonder. So I appreciate the coincidence of the Frontline program following President Bush's announcement tonight. Thank you.
Jeffry Pike
cambridge, massachusetts
Dear FRONTLINE, I have been against the coming war in Iraq since I can remember there being an issue. Until today I could not find any logical nor moral legitimacy to the arguments for a preemptive attack on Iraq that out-weighed the negative, future implications that a preemptive attack arises. My largest fear is the precedent that a preemptive attack creates for future generations. What caused me to change my view is that Old Era Policy is incommesurable with this new world of weapons of mass distrucion. The wait and take action later policy will fail the world that has the possibility of destruction on scales previously thought unimaginable. The scale of destruction is the problem with the wait and see policy. Action today might not curb future death and destruction, but non-action will guarantee even worse death and destruction.
Chris Lyman
albany, new york
Dear FRONTLINE, If anyone...watches this program, there will be no question why we must act now!
parma, ohio
Dear FRONTLINE, I found "the Long Road to War" to be extremely helpful in providing a chronological background of the history of the struggle with Saddam Hussein. I also found it interesting to hear the debate on the strategy the United States and United Nations have wrestled with on how to handle this dictator. Your presentaton helped me understand why President Bush feels that diplomatic opportunites have long since passed. Hopefully we will also recognize our own past mistakes and truly help rebuild following the obviously much needed removal of Hussein. My only criticism of this truly informative report was that it was not aired much earlier to help us understand the path that has been walked in the last 15 years.
dublin, ohio
Dear FRONTLINE, I am disappointed with tonight's "The Long Road to War". For some reason the presentation hit a pothole and bounced all the way from 1968 to 1979, and then hit a worse pothole and bounced past some very important years; 1979 to 1991. It astonishes me how the gassing of the Kurds carries so much political weight today, but in 1988 is was all but ignored by Reagan/Bush. Are there not press photos of Rumsfeld and/or Cheney shaking Saddam's hand. Would not the "October Surprise" and the Iran/Iraq war have something to offer your total story?
Jim Drozd
hartford, ct
Dear FRONTLINE, The information gathered by this documentation has changed my outlook on the current situation with Iraq. We need more documentation like this to let the rest of the world know what is going on.
hickory, nc
Dear FRONTLINE, It's about time, although, saddly to late to overt a war, that someone gave a brief honest history of what is realy going on within our government today. I believe that if this story or 12 year report on how, why, when and who in our government is realy making the decisions for our future, the citizens of our Great Nation would be furious.
The Demorcratic Party seems to be walking in a comma; they approve this war and then go back to sleep.
Something is very wrong with this Nation right now and we had better wake up before this administration, and those running it, have us by the throat as did Hitler with Germany.
I don't want to live in an Empire
Donald Rose
cameron, wi
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