Dear FRONTLINE,
Even as a supporter of the war in Iraqi I enjoyed your program and I thought it did point out how pre-war prejudices and personalities collided to produce post-war bedlam. As usual, the "not invented here" syndrome ruled the day. What I would like to see is a report on why 13 years of sanctions and peace efforts failed? To me, that's the real question. Now that we are fairly sure Saddam didn't have warehouses full of WMD why didn't he throw open the gates to the UN inspectors? The inspectors would have found nothing. The sanctions would have been lifted, and Saddam would still be in power today! Given what we know now in post-war Iraq, the UN appears to be just as much a waste of time as the League of Nations.
Oh yeah, and to the former Marine who was upset about the car crushing incident, you are forgetting that standard guidance for dealing with looters is shoot them dead on sight. No exceptions. You would have prefered that response?
Paul Wood
San Diego, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
Concerning "War, Truth, and Consequences", listeners of Pacifica Radio knew most of what was in last night's Frontline long, long ago.
During the buildup for the Iraq war, and during the war itself, the difference between PBS and Fox was scarcely measurable.
Will Frontline be as far behind the curve again next time?
r titus
Dear FRONTLINE,
Well done and everything I've come to expect from Public Broadcasting.
I was surprised to find other responders being bent out of shape concerning Smith's viewpoint being the "only voice." To me, it was challenged every time he got into interviewing Makiya. I would encourage them to check back on Frontline's 2002 season to see their coverage of Saddam's atrocities.
M. Renjie Tom
Milpitas, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
It is refreshing to view a more realistic perspective compared to the propagandistic baloney I hear on Fox, MSNBC and even CNN.
Thank you once again for your hard hitting report. I especially appreciated your segment on the reprehensible flattening of the taxi driver's car by the American tank. Speaking as a Marine veteran, I found the behavior of those U.S. troops to be unprofessional, unmilitary, undisciplined, thuggish, stupid and shameful. Where was their commanding officer? Why aren't the army troops given proper guidance for dealing with the Iraqi civilians? Such incidents will only intensify the hatred and resistance to the U.S. Furthermore, such behavior shames the honor of the U.S. armed forces. Are we to have a repeat of My Lai?
We the American public must be accurately informed of what is actually happening in Iraq. I applaud Frontline and PBS for attempting to bring us a clearer viewpoint of the situation.
Peter Galon
San Francisco, California
Dear FRONTLINE,
As a student from a Jesuit University whos motto is "conscience, competence, and compassion" my feelings regarding whether we should have or not have invaded Iraq are mixed at best.
As a History Major (like President Bush), there were some good reasons to go in there and depose Saddam Hussein. Some of the Iraqi exiles interviewed in the episode touched on these reasons, which I will leave to other posters to elaborate on. On the other hand, I have many questions regarding the use (or "distortion) of evidence of WMD to justify Iraq as an "immanent threat."
Two rules I learned in doing research was: 1) Do not selectively pick out sources to fit the argument, and 2) Do not go far beyond what the evidence is telling you. Intelligence is a complicated business, thats for sure, but it seems rather distressing to see officials in the Bush Administration breaking both fundamental rules of valid research.
I will let the poignancy and sharpness of this episode to speak for itself. I do think, however, that the only sense of clarity in post-war Iraq is that there is none. In other words, nobody really knows where Iraq's future is heading. I still believe it is too early to draw definite conclusions, but I do think that America has made a choice (define America anyway you want to), and that we must follow through with the consequences.
President Bush once said regarding Iraq that "History will prove that we were right to go in there." Let us hope that History will be fair to the us in its final conclusions......
Oliver Bordallo
Dear FRONTLINE,
At some point in my life, I would love to see PBS provide a positive story regarding America and Americans in ANYTHING. It has been my recent experience that whenever PBS endeavors to show how the U.S. interacts in world politics, it is always with a negative anti-American slant. PBS does a great job at showing British comedies, NOVA, the doo-wap stuff and the milk toast Charlie Rose, so stick to the things that you do best .. PLEASE.
Paul Romano
Alameda, Ca
Dear FRONTLINE,
Your responding viewership exhibits a marked polarization of opinion and I'd be inclined to think we've stopped talking TO one another in favor of taking AT one another were it not for the nearly diametrically opposing editorial viewpoints you yourselves have taken on the war in Iraq.
Granted, we've gotten ourselves into quite a challenging position, but, if lives are being continually lost and the meter is running at over a million dollars per hour, we'd better focus on what we're going to do rather than how we got here.
All the references made to the Marshall Plan as it regards Afghanistan and Iraq do not consider the tacit benefits to be derived by the United States for such an effort and instead focus on the explicit costs and risks.
Coincidental to rebuilding Japan and Germany's infrastructures post World War II, the U.S. secured for itself for a term of roughly a quarter of a century a cheap labor market for high tech goods from Germany and low and mid tech goods from Japan. A similartacit benefit could be had in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But at what astronomical price, you ask.
Well, in addition to printing hundreds of million dollars daily, the vast majority of our (and all) wealth is fictional and exists only digitally. We already owe ourselves more than we'll ever be able to repay, so let's build a couple of countries to order. While we're at it, we better carve out a little piece of land from somebody and make a brand new state or two for all the region's displaced. Absurd, unacceptably meddlesome and unbearaby espensive, you say. Indeed it is, until you consider the long term consequences of going along as we are: attacked at every turn by the Moslems and owned by the Chinese.
I urge that we undertake to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan as a gesture of our internatonal goodwill, a true mark of our dedication to the betterment of all humanity, but the idea will sell because of its profitability. You Frontline editors recognize an idea whose time is ripe, no doubt.
Bailey Jepson
Pacific Palisades, ca
Dear FRONTLINE,
Despite the presentation of much valuable raw information, Frontline and Martin Smith are determined to find fault in the Bush administration in justification for and implementation of the war. I dont say that the administration is faultlesss. But Frontline has missed the profound historic significance of the U.S. war in Iraq:
1) Liberation of an oppressed and terrorized populace
2) Creation of a free democratic state in the midst of a region whose governments spawned and support terrorism and routinely repress human rights. If we succeed, a stabilizing influence will have arisen.
3) Resounding demonstration that sometimes America makes good on its commitments to freedom and its high sounding values. Our action does much to restore international faith in America as a nation. Frontline's own interviews expose the feeling of abandonment among Iraqis after we left Saddam in power in 1990 and gave no support to rebelling INC, Shiites and Kurds. The entire Arab world viewed the U.S. with cynicism after the first Gulf war.
If Frontline expended enormous effort and funds in addition to risking the lives of PBS staff to send the American public the message that the President failed to accurately prioritize or communicate the reasons for the war then Frontline spent and risked in vain. The American public already knew that. Americans also know full well that the future of Iraq and our success there is far more important than identifying flaws in a president who has the fortitude to implement umpopular policy that may change the tide of history.
Richard Demers
Moorpark, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
It appears evident that one of the opening statements of this presentation says it all -- "If you look for something, you will find it."
The Frontline report was obviously aimed at discrediting the president, his policies and his administration. This 'report' reflected what the Frontline reporter was looking for -- selective 'evidence' to prove his thesis and justify his bias.
Hindsight is always brilliant and disgruntled government employees are good sources of material when looking for ways to discredit an administration.
This report had no value other than propaganda for America's enemies.
Marion Anderson
Dear FRONTLINE,
How interesting that Martin Smith was shocked by Kanan Makiya's comment on the reconstruction of Iraq being an experiment. George Washington referred to the US Constitutional system as The Great Experiment. And a quick search online with the terms "greatest experiment" brings tons of references to the United States.
As for the liberation of Iraq - Berlin and Paris were both liberated. In Paris the liberators were greeted with flowers, in Berlin with mortar fire. But that doesn't mean that Berlin wasn't liberated.
Jerome Vered
Los Angeles, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
It is unfortunate that so many people like Ms. Watkins have taken the stand that the end justifies the means with regards to Iraq. Nobody has ever argued that the removal of Saddam was not a benifit to all, however, the war against Iraq was sold to the American public by Mr. Bush and Co. solely based upon the mistruths that Iraq posed an "imminent threat" (Mr Bush may have not said that but his cabinet members did on numerous occations) to the United States ("they could deliver a weapon of mass destruction within 45 minutes") and that there were evidence of ties to al Qaeda. These arguments have now been proven(as many of us thought prior to the invasion) erroneous.
If we are to agree with Ms. Watkin's justifications for the war, then we should be prepared to send American troops to the five corners of the earth to remove any dictator or tyrant. What was missing from an otherwise excellent Frontline report, in my opinion, is the question of how the Administration was able to re-direct the 'War on Terror' to Iraq so easily when Osama bin Ladin was/is still on the run. I would have appreciated a more comprehensive report on the manipulation from Osama to Saddam as Terror Suspect Numero Uno.
michael mccormac
mill valley, california
Dear FRONTLINE,
What a remarkable program tonight. Amazing that Bush, Powell, Rumsfled, Rice, Wolf nor Cheney could not take the time to address the American people.
Those on the right will look at this in denial, just as the White house refused to listen or aknowledge their mistakes. I'm surprise you got Perle and Bremer to talk with you. You've just touched the tip of the ice berg. The inexperience of Bush decision making, the lies, the Bring'm on attitude makes me sick. I'm joining as a New member and making sure the DVD I will purchase of this program is shown to teachers in history classes, friends of mine who lost family in 9/11 etc etc. Hats off to PBS...Thank you
Chuck Kuhn
Novato, California
Dear FRONTLINE,
I watched your program with great interest. Many of the things I have been thinking, you said for all who would listen to hear.
I watched the invasion of Iraq from the start and am still keeping up with it but I am sad to say most of the television news stations only give reports when something bad happens and may give it a minute or two. Other things are more important,
like Kobe Bryant and Arnold what's his name.
I heard President Bush say it was about the continuing war on terror. The Pentagon said it was about weapons of mass destruction. As our brave men and women headed toward Baghdad we were told it was about freedom for the Iraqi people. I am now not sure any of them know what it was about! I just know we will be there for a long, long time and more of our brave men and women will die.
There was a war plan but no peace plan. I was surprised to find out they had committee's set up since the late 90's to prepare for peace after war, if there was one. Looks like they could not agree on that either!
Thank you for your program. I think it is fair and tells the brutal truth, whether we like it or not.
Lavenia Claman
Rainbow City, AL
Dear FRONTLINE,
This documentary is amazing. You're likely getting a lot of hate mail. Please ignore it. You don't owe your support, politically of monetarily, to these people.
Brian Dunstan
Seattle, Washington
Dear FRONTLINE,
I viewed your program on the situation in Iraq with great interest and thought it was very well done. Of course, there are some other points of view that didn't get expressed in your piece, but overall I thought it was very helpful in explaining the run up to the war, and then the consequences and quagmire we are now in.
I have often wondered but never heard it expressed. Could it be that maybe another reason we are in Iraq has to do with the 30+ year war between the Israelees and Palistinians. With American troops and a base in Iraq, don't we end up drawing a dividing line between Iran and the other middle east states, just in case the Israelee conflict really blows up. I mean, could this all be just an early run-up and part of a big-time regional (call it WW III maybe) involving the whole of the middle east as well as most of the Islamic States. Nobody has a crystal ball, but I would think it's not out of the question.
Bob Cooper
Scottsdale, Arizona 
| 
