John S. Policaro – 4/18/07

This page was last updated on April 18, 2007.

Fighting and dying for what?; John S. Policaro; Beaver County Times; April 18, 2007.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“In response to Michael Alberico’s Thursday letter to the editor ‘Blood for oil?’:

“Prior to the war, maybe he missed the hundreds of feet of satellite footage Colin Powell was showing to Congress and U.N. Security Council showing U.N. arm’s [sic] inspectors going in one gate and trucks carrying weapons of mass destruction out the other, but here are just a few facts I located on the Internet.

“1. Prior to Iraq invasion, the U.S. official position was that Iraq was in violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 regarding weapons of mass destruction and had to be disarmed by force.”

[RWC] I know Mr. Policaro would like to ignore this, but this was the position of nearly the whole world, not just the U.S. Indeed, this was the unanimous position of the UN Security Council, though the Security Council opposed action.

“2. March 20, 2003, the United States invades Iraq.”

[RWC] Perhaps I’m nitpicking, but military operations began on March 19^th, not March 20^th.

“3. Nov. 15, 2004, Powell resigns.

“4. Nov. 8, 2006, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld resigns.

“5. April 2007, the White House approaches three retired four-star generals to oversee war in Iraq and Afghanistan; all declined.”

[RWC] What’s the relevance of these three factoids?

“6. To date, 3,292 U.S. deaths.

“As a father with a son currently enlisted in the Army and is scheduled to be deployed in August for a tour of duty extended from 12 to 15 months courtesy of George Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, can you tell me if not for oil and not a single weapon of mass destruction has been found after four years, what are he and fellow servicemen fighting and dying for? I’m still waiting.”

[RWC] Perhaps Mr. Policaro should ask his brave son why he enlisted and/or chooses to reenlist.