http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04303/403350.stm

Bush's folly
As veterans and citizens, we favor a new commander in chief
Friday, October 29, 2004

By Glenn Steimer

I am a veteran of the current Iraq war. I and the other signers of this
piece are military veterans of various political persuasions who have
decided to support John Kerry for president because of the disastrous
policies of the Bush administration regarding Iraq.

Glenn Steimer, a lawyer, lives in Franklin Park. He served in Iraq with the
10th Special Forces Group, Airborne. This was also signed by Sidney Baker,
Timothy P. O'Brien, Kenneth Benson, Thomas Berret, Charles Boyle, Dan
Haller, Seyour Sikov, John Stephens and George Schmidt.

Because the war in Iraq and the war against terrorism are crucial to this
nation's survival, it is proper for the handling of the war in Iraq to be a
deciding issue in this election. We recognize that many of our fellow
citizens are still undecided about the presidential race; others have
decided to support the incumbent. We ask both groups to ponder how we find
ourselves in the present state of affairs in Iraq after President Bush many
months ago triumphantly declared, "Mission Accomplished." To answer that
question, we should consider whether the administration has satisfactorily
answered just a few of the questions that have been raised about how we
decided to go to war in Iraq and how we planned to win it.

 Why did the administration ignore the advice of seasoned veterans like
Brent Scowcroft, the former Air Force general who served as the first
President Bush's national security adviser, that we concentrate on crushing
al-Qaida in Afghanistan and avoid the distraction of Iraq?

 Why did the administration ignore the warnings of the senior President
Bush and Colin Powell about the serious dangers of attempting to occupy
Iraq?

 Why, despite the warnings of Gen. Eric Shinseki, did we find ourselves
with insufficient numbers of troops to secure arms dumps, protect public
buildings and seal Iraq's borders? (Only recently has it been acknowledged
that there were not sufficient troops made available to the commanders in
Iraq.)

 Why was there virtually no planning for the pacification of Iraq after the
invasion?

 Why did President Bush and Pentagon war planners fail to consult
experienced Republicans like Sens. Richard Lugar and Chuck Hagel of the
Foreign Relations Committee?

 Finally, why was it assumed that the Iraqi citizens would welcome American
and coalition forces, and why was it assumed that our troops in Iraq would
not become targets for terrorists and extremists throughout the region?

The list of questions could go on but the point is clear: The
administration cannot satisfactorily answer these questions because, in its
determination to pursue its own objectives, it proceeded on its own without
seeking advice from others with greater military and foreign policy
experience. In the process, the administration abandoned our time-tested,
pragmatic multilateral foreign policy. Instead, the Bush administration has
opted for a go-it-alone policy based on the flawed thinking of radical
ideologues like Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz. who have consistently
disparaged those who sought to question their decisions or challenge their
assumptions.

As present and former members of the military, my colleagues and I have
been affected by policy decisions made by political leaders who are
unwilling or unable to consider the sound advice of seasoned experts. We
find that now this country has, once again, been placed in a divisive
military engagement that was not justified by the situation or the
evidence, not properly planned, and which will create economic hardship for
years to come the people we seek to help as well as the American people
themselves.

President Bush and his administration have pursued the short-sighted
policies that have led to these disastrous results. He shows no signs of
recognizing his mistakes or changing course. We believe that the danger to
our country has significantly increased as a result of President Bush's
failed polices. Four more years of his administration will only bring more
of the same. Simply put, the present administration has forfeited its right
to govern.

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