Dear Editor,

Bob Anderson’s reference to a Weekly Standard article about intelligence that was “leaked” by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith’s office does not offer the excuse for the Iraqi invasion that Bob (and George W.) would like it to.

In response, Newsweek has reported that these reports are “old, uncorroborated and came from sources of unknown if not dubious credibility.” They were “mostly based on unverified claims that were first advanced by some top Bush administration officials more than a year ago ” and were largely discounted at the time by the U.S. intelligence community.”

But consider the source. The Weekly Standard is owned by Rupert Murdoch and generally spews right-wing propaganda much like his Fox News Channel. And who is Douglas Feith? He is one of the chief architects of the Iraqi invasion who has advocated his anti-Arab, Zionist policies since long before 9-11 and who, along with the controversial Richard Perle, has questionable business ties with arms manufacturers.

Far from “defending our future” as Anderson claims, Bush is squandering it. He is squandering our natural and economic resources. He is squandering our environment and any goodwill that this country enjoyed before the invasion of Iraq. He is squandering human lives and American civil liberties, and propagating even more terrorism by his arrogance and ignorance.

I love my country, but I am ashamed of my government.

Russell Hedman

Carbondale