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Dear FRONTLINE,
I just saw your appalling piece on the war in Iraq. What an irresponsible piece of propaganda thinly disguised as journalism. According to this report a war that was fought in a few weeks, liberated 25 million people and saw the fall of one of the most brutal regimes in the world was a failure. The chief victim of this evil, unprovoked, illegal and environmentally unfriendly war is of course the undying hope of the Iraqi people that one day they can pass on to their children a regime that gassed its own people.
Apparently for the great military, political and social conscious minds at Frontline any war that doesnít begin and end in the same amount of time it takes an anti war protestor to dine on his soy burrito is just too long and as a result becomes an intractable quagmire.
Alas, the government lies, the police are murders and the military kills babies...thank god for Frontline it does after all represent our only beacon of truth and hope...
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
Frank Pappas
Houston, Texas
Dear FRONTLINE,
As is so often the case, many can agree on the problem, but not the solution. Watching the program, and reading more details on your web site reinforces my view that the war solution to the Hussein problem was ill conceived. This is how I felt a year go. The whirring fan of the administration really spat out the spin, and continues to do so. I especially enjoyed the excerpts from speeches and programs replaying the justifying wind. While I am not pleased about the current state, I can only hope more Americans will reflect on what they want this country to be and engage in the democratic process. I feel we are definitely off track in many arenas, and have actually contributed to making the world more dangerous for us and the rest of the world. We can do better, but we need to pay attention, stay involved, and make leaders accountable.
Candace Imming
Westborough, MA
Dear FRONTLINE,
First of all let me state my disapproval of the use of PBS dollars. This program was definitely one-sided. The pictorials with blood-soaked clothing were intentionally used to inflame the American public. This was a WAR, did you expect there to be no casualties, even women and children. The Iraqi people have no experience with democracy, only intolerance for many years. You cannot expect them to wholeheartly embrace a concept that is totally foreign to them. The media has only focused on the deaths and difficulties that have happened. Deaths in the handfuls have been reported again and again as horrendus losses when the average Iraqian has freedom for the first time in his or her life. Sadaam murdered many more of his own civilians then the occupying force has or ever will.
Pam Patete
Tulsa, OK
Dear FRONTLINE,
Thank you for an excellent program that has left me completely depressed. Seeing the progression and scope of the dishonesty, incompetence, arrogance and political motivation behind the decision to declare a preemptive war that has already taken thousands of human lives simply makes me dispair and feel great shame for my own government. Whatever good that does come to the Iragi people in the long run, will not be because of this administrations "humanitarian" motives, but in spite of it's horrendous, inexcusable, tragic lack of effective post war planning, and it's concealed political motives that have been in the planning for years. It is despicable for a government to use the terror, fear and grief of a nation stunned by the tragedy of 9/11 as the motivating reason for declaring a pre planned, politically motivated war. I am so sorry that so many had to die needlessly because of our mistakes.
Glo Mills
Montrose, MN
Dear FRONTLINE,
Thank you so much for airing this program. I really appreciate your courage in putting this on the air, and am in awe of the guts demonstrated by the makers of this documentary, in asking tough and intelligent questions for which we still haven't received satisfactory answers, as well as their bravery in being on the scene in Iraq to offer this unflinching look at the true situation there.
As far as your questions go, we went to war based on untruths. In my opinion, if someone can't make their case without resorting to dishonesty, then they don't have a case. And, regarding the price, I say let the people who supported the war pay! No, seriously, I do wonder whether it's actually possible to "decree" that Iraq is going to be a democracy. That is to say, how is it possible that we tell them when we want them to have a constitution, etc., and they have to follow our orders, and we call that a democracy? That doesn't seem to be quite the way to create democracy, does it?
Deb Anderson
Royal Oak, MI
Dear FRONTLINE,
Frontline, I watched your program tonight. I have watched several other programs on PBS, like this one, that criticize the Bush administration for underestimating the post-war violence. I have yet to see one program that criticizes anyone in the Bush administration for underestimating the number of political prisoners held by the Hussein regime, underestimating the number of bodies found in the mass graves and underestimating the amount of torture and deprivation this regime inflicted on the Iraqi people.
I have yet to see one program on PBS that offers this balance.
James Cox
Louisburg, Kansas
Dear FRONTLINE,
I appreciate that Frontline is at least asking the question about the justification of the US war against Iraq. However it's dismaying to see the program so skewed that only those who either supported or helped conduct the war being given a forum to speak.
I'm sure that there are dozens of qualified academics and experts who could have represented those of us who have been deeply skeptical not just about disinformation regarding WMD's, Chalabi's claims, and so on, but of the entire notion that the US motives are altruistic. For example, in general, on Frontline, it usually goes unquestioned whether real democracy is now or has ever been a goal in Iraq in spite of substantial evidence to the contrary from US policy planners documents the last 40 years. I didn't even see much representation of centrist and mainstream opposition democrats like Dean, much less someone strong enough to question these basic assumptions. Was the vileness of the regime an actual motivation as is claimed now? Unlikely since many of Hussein's worst crimes came when he was firmly supported by the US. Yet this invisible in the program.
There is no counter-balance to the despicable Richard Perle. There is no one to counter Paul Bremer's final claim of the theological righteousness of a just war, although dozens of religious organizations, not to mention the Pope had done so before the war. And no mention or representation of the vast international opposition including that within the UN.
Why was time exclusively given to those who seek to justify these illegal and immoral actions?
Mark Tralbry
Bedford, NH
Dear FRONTLINE,
An absolute requirement for a policy of pre-emption is very good intelligence. Setting aside Iraq, what is the overall record of U.S. and British intelligence for, say, the last 20 or 30 years? In the real world, what are the odds that intelligence will ever be good enough to justify pre-emptive military actions? How good, or example, is our intelligence on North Korea?
Given the apparent impossibility of controlling the borders of Iraq, what is likelyhood that WMD (and scientists?) were moved out of Iraq? If so, where are they now? Is Kay looking outside of Iraq? If not, who is?
Vance Miller
Dear FRONTLINE,
We were led into the military action in iraq by pres. bush,for reasons stating that they were a clear & present danger WMD & nuclear threat. Now this has not been substantiated. Yet we are asked for $87 billion (plus administrative & occupation costs). This is most unreasonable.Where will it end? Certainly it will end with the next presidential election,if not before. I have voted republican for 50 years, but this could change if the current situation is not corrected soon.
frank manthey
elkton, ky
Dear FRONTLINE,
Frontline reporting has given us a snapshot of the war that occured in Iraq, and its consequences today. The United States waged war on Iraq for hundreds of reasons, many of which Americans turn a blind eye. There are consequences in everything we do in our lives, and one of them is waging war. We were attacked on Septmeber 11th, 2001, and became a frightened and revengeful nation, and remain so to this day. When people are frightened, they tend to take extra precautions to secure there future. The United States took those precautions by eliminating a leader of a large nation in the Middle East, namely Iraq. The reasons why we eliminated the Iraqi Government are plenty, but out of those hundreds of reasons, one definite reson was that Iraq was a threat to a frightened United States. Saddam Hussein violently instructed all his citizens to rise up against Western Civilization and kill Americans anywhere in the world. I feel as an American a lot more comfortable living my daily life, knowing that Saddam Hussein is not ruling Iraq. I will equally feel more comfortable once the United States furthers its quest of a more peaceful Middle East, by knocking on the doors of Syria and Iran, reforming their friendships with Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and assisting Palestinians and Israelis to live as peaceful neighbors. Thank you.
Alec Yannoulis
Chicago, Illinois
Dear FRONTLINE,
Your propaganda piece disguised as jounalism is so biased and inflammatory that I can hardly watch it. You call it a quagmire ( one of many "code" words) when it is no such thing.
Where would you have been during the Revolutionary War? You would have been the Tories. You bellyache because the war in Iraq is not won in a convenient timeline for your soundbites. You want a quick fix to everything. How long did it take to win the peace after WWII? I was there!
Second question: You are a public taxpayer- paid- for company and yet you use that precious commodity for left-wing propaganda. How do you justify that? You can't, you just do it.You will be the first to complain if we are hit again. Then you will wonder why the US didn't do more and go after the tyrants. I never thought that I would see this day, of cowards in the media that we pay for.
Colleen Stout
Orem, Utah
Dear FRONTLINE,
Thank you, thank you and thank you again! Your in depth and honest reporting is a breath of fresh air. At a time when most journalists and politicians avoid obvious conclusions about Iraq, you are like the little boy who had the courage to tell the world that the emperor has no clothes.
I am saddened beyond words that my tax dollars support the killing of innocents under the guise of bringing freedom to them, and proud that I can willingly express my belief in honesty with support to PBS. Please keep up the good work.
Judy Weitzman
West Lafayette, IN
Dear FRONTLINE,
0Thank you for presenting an accurate and shocking program of the ongoing horror that is now Iraq. This administration may have gotten rid of a terrible leader, but at what cost? The American people were conned into believing the lies and deceptions of the worst admininstration in all our history. Watching this program makes me more convinced that the hate directed at United States will only grow. My heart goes out to the Iraqi people and the American servicemen and women who will never forget the violence they were forced to inflict on innocent people. My fear is thatphysically and mentally these young people will be paying for their presence in Iraq for the rest of their lives. But, I'm sure Bush will sleep soundly; the man still must believe he is the great liberator.
Linda Blair
lake Placid, New York
Dear FRONTLINE,
I'm happy that someone had the courage to ask these questions. Thank you.
Steven Hewlett
Ann Arbor, MI
Dear FRONTLINE,
"...the fog of war."
You could probably do a similar story on anyone of the many (American) wars of the 20th century. But the alternative was to leave Saddam in power. And the unanswered question remains, "Why didn't Saddam admit the UN inspectors?"
Robert Guzauskas
West Palm Beach, FL 
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