Iraq, McCain and 9/11: Let's review a few things

After reading Mark Russak's Sept. 14 letter ("This Iraq Success Has Received Scant Attention"), I couldn't help but raise an inquisitive eyebrow. I too served in Iraq and completely disagree with Mr. Russak's assessment of Barack Obama, John McCain, Democrats, and the "war" in Iraq. I offer the following rejoinder:

First, it's a misnomer to label the U.S. presence in Iraq a "war"; Congress hasn't declared war in five decades. We are not involved in war; we are involved in an occupation. This raises the question: How does one "win" an occupation? This is highly rhetorical. Occupations can be neither won nor lost.

Second, contrary to Mr. Russak's belief, no party has a monopoly on support of or opposition to the occupation. Singling out Democrats as spineless cowards is not just ignorant, it is unequivocally sordid.

Third, we must not exempt Sen. McCain solely on the basis of his military service. A scrubbing of John McCain's voting record unearths an abysmal voting record against veterans and their benefits.

Lastly, I'm here to debunk Mr. McCain's champion campaign issue, the "surge," as myth. While it is true that in 2007 George W. Bush ordered an increase in the level of U.S. troops, this increase merely mirrors the number of multinational troops that had been withdrawn -- leaving the total number of coalition troops relatively unaffected.

Let's not lose sight: Our president has admitted that there was no connection between Iraq and the attacks of 9/11. U.S. occupation has become a question of morality, and here Mr. McCain's judgment, not Barack Obama's, has proven "foolish."

JONATHAN KEALLY
Strattanville, Clarion County

The writer is formerly of Moon.

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Disrespect displayed

In response to Mark Russak's letter "This Iraq Success Has Received Scant Attention" (Sept. 14): While I commend him for his service to our country, as a liberal Democrat I was offended by the language of his letter.

Mr. Russak begins his diatribe by asserting that the "liberal media" gave little notice to the military successes in Al Anbar Province. I watch liberal news broadcasts and read liberal newspapers, such as this one. Yet, in spite of that, I am quite aware of the situation in Al Anbar Province.

The most offensive language in Mr. Russak's letter was his reference to the "cowards" in the Democratic Party. In all of the conflicts of this past century, and specifically during World War II and the Vietnam War, conservative Republicans were not the only ones who fought and died on those battlefields. There were an equal number of liberal Democrats there, and it is an insult to them to be labeled as cowards because of their political views.

Freedom is not free, and in America our brave soldiers make exceptional sacrifices so that all Americans are free to choose who will lead them. They do not fight to protect the rights and freedoms of only those whose beliefs and political views are the same as theirs.

I respect Mr. Russak's right to endorse Sen. John McCain to be our next president. But he did not have to belittle Sen. Barack Obama and his supporters to make his own case.

PAM SCATENA-HILLIARD
Morningside

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In whose reality?

Since my return to Pittsburgh two years ago I have read Jack Kelly's Sunday Perspectives column. Some may call me a glutton for punishment, but I have done so because I like to have my worldview challenged. His latest columns, though, on vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin have made me wonder if the man has truly lost his grip on reality.

"... Independent and Democratic women appalled by their [the media's] sexism -- were enraged by the vicious assaults on Sarah Palin and her family" ("Sarah Barracuda," Sept. 7). Really? None of the blogs I read or people I spoke with mentioned any such outrage. If anyone mentioned outrage, it was Mr. Kelly's fellow Republicans, who mostly did so to deflect discussion away from Gov. Palin's lack of experience for the job.

I have no issue with having a conservative columnist as part of the PG's op-ed page. However, could you please find one who has at least one foot in the world of reality? Or is this asking too much of someone with a conservative viewpoint?

BILL SOTA
Upper St. Clair

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Delivery of hatred

I had to watch the movie "Obsession," which was delivered with the PG last Sunday. It is a fear-mongering tirade and a pile of hate that went on at length with questions such as what percentage of the billion and half Muslims out there are likely blood-thirsty, anti-American terrorists!

The documentary introduced an expert identified as a PLO former terrorist who told us that even a small fraction of these billions is large enough to wipe out Western civilization! The same expert told us that "Mein Kampf" is "Jihad" in Arabic! Nonsense! Another "expert" from Gaza, introduced as "the daughter of a martyr" (whatever that implies), presented no evidence that an intelligent person can scrutinize, yet she repeated again and again that the West needs to be very worried.

Other guests included Khalid Abu Toameh (described as a Palestinian journalist but the documentary did not say he worked with an Israeli right-wing newspaper) and conservatives like Daniel Pipes, a known Islamophobe, who did his best to weave the Palestinians into 9/11 even though they had nothing to do with it. The most absurd was the tirade of Alan Dershowitz and a former Nazi Youth commander who believed in the disturbing logic that Islamic fundamentalism draws on Nazism. What drivel!

Mass murderers like Osama bin Laden and those who revere him are not emulating Nazis by targeting Jews in particular. They are targeting all humanity, including fellow Muslims. Ask the daily civilian casualties in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Terrorism is a global, complicated issue that should not be cynically used in this upcoming election. Releasing the DVD now is undoubtedly a play on anti-Muslim sentiments. I am disappointed that the PG has participated in such a campaign of disinformation and hatred.

BURHAN GHARAIBEH
Squirrel Hill

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Unwelcome DVD

I did not appreciate the DVD from the Clarion Fund that came in last Sunday's paper. Although the organization claims to be nonpartisan, its agenda is obvious.

JIM McCARTHY
Penn Hills

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Pa. students would benefit from stronger requirements

The Post-Gazette is to be commended for its insightful series on the challenges facing our college-bound students ("Ready or Not," Aug. 31-Sept. 6). Your reporting rightly noted that some of the issues facing college freshmen are unavoidable, such as adjusting to newfound independence and learning to balance a healthy social life with the demands of higher education.

But one problem you highlighted can be remedied before our students enter college. We can alleviate the all-too-common problem of college freshmen being hampered by a lack of academic readiness.

Your coverage brought to the public's attention some worrisome findings, including an increasing reliance on costly and time-consuming remedial course work on our college campuses. This remediation typically stems from the lack of challenging and rigorous curricula in high school.

Today, the Pennsylvanians who enter our colleges and universities are not only sitting alongside peers from the commonwealth or neighboring states, they often are sitting alongside -- and competing with -- students from around the world. Many of those students enter college with a level of academic proficiency in core subjects that surpasses that of Pennsylvania's students.

The result is Pennsylvania's students are left at a disadvantage compared with many of their peers, and their lack of readiness not only can set them back, but it also can demoralize them and make their road to a college degree a longer, more difficult one.

This problem could be mitigated through stronger graduation requirements in Pennsylvania, requirements that would ensure that all of our graduates have the skills a high school diploma is expected to represent. If we can ensure our high school graduates have diplomas that represent readiness, we can give them the skills and confidence to compete and succeed with the best and brightest the world has to offer.

Teenagers entering college have enough adjustments to make acclimating to a new environment, new schedule and new responsibilities. They don't need the added burden of having a false sense of academic readiness that could become a pitfall that ends their college careers.

GERALD L. ZAHORCHAK
Pennsylvania Secretary of Education
JOHN C. CAVANAUGH
Chancellor
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
Harrisburg

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