Letters

Hussein's fall not a benchmark in war on terror

Regarding John Hughes's Aug. 31 column "Four years after 9/11, terror's hold is loosening": Whether or not "terror's hold is loosening" four years after 9/11 is not within my expertise. However, the toppling of Saddam Hussein's government has nothing to do with winning against terrorists. Hence, using it as evidence of victory is flawed from the beginning.

Mr. Hussein's government, as President Bush has admitted, was not behind 9/11. Neither did it have operational ties with Al Qaeda terrorists. In simpler terms, there is no evidence that Hussein allied with terrorists to threaten the US, which is what we really care about when it comes to the issue of war.

The Al Qaeda and other terrorist fighters in Iraq, whom the US is now fighting, came after the fall of Hussein's government. Thus, Mr. Hughes's column creates an overall misconception that launching the Iraq war was justified because it was part of the global fight against terrorism, and that by toppling Hussein, progress was made.
Shuntu Kuang
Herndon, Va.

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