U.S. Shuts Iraqi Newspaper

Re “U.S. Shutters Iraqi Newspaper,” March 29: “The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq on Sunday closed a newspaper sponsored by a popular anti-American Shiite cleric, accusing it of creating unrest and inciting violence against occupation forces.”

The reason for the closure stated in a letter from L. Paul Bremer III, U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, was that the newspaper had published articles “impugning the work of the coalition or lying about activities of the U.S.-led occupation forces in ways that were likely to inflame anti-American feelings.” Evidently, the sort of “democracy” that the United States wishes to create in Iraq does not include freedom of the press.

Robert Noble

Santa Monica

Re “Iraqi Defector’s Tales Bolstered U.S. Case for War,” March 28: So, if I understand your article, the United States, which has couched its rhetoric regarding Iraq on the mantle of justice and freedom and truth, and which is easily the most powerful force on the planet, invaded a country, killing thousands of men, women and children, causing mutilation and the disruption and inflammation of the social fabric, and worse, causing the type of mass psychological trauma that perpetuates the very attitudes that foster the terror we are putatively thwarting -- and what was our motive?

Information supplied by a guy whose name we don’t know.We don’t even know where he came from, huh?

Perfect. When are we going to decolonize our minds?

Dominic Di Zinno

Santa Monica