We can't allow our nation to fail

I was deeply saddened to read your editorial on abandoning Iraq and your failure to recognize that we are in a death struggle with radical Islam.

Iraq is the battlefield for this struggle.

If we surrender, we will rue the day. The worldwide terrorists will gain new strength and the slaughter will be horrendous. Those of us who have been there see the threat clearly. This is Vietnam redux.

I was furious to see how the press misreported what we were doing in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The leftists and pacifists in this country betrayed America's best fighting men. Men of honor were abandoned. We could see the truth everyday in combat. The good news and progress was presented to the American public as defeat and hopelessness. That is happening now in Iraq. Our media lies to us.

Political leaders would rather gain/stay in power than defend this country. I will say again, the killing fields of Cambodia will be seen as child's play if we wimp out in Iraq. These guys are fanatics and we are the only ones capable of stopping them. Open your eyes. Look beyond Iraq. This is a worldwide conflict. Iran, Syria, Egypt, etc. can hardly wait to see the "Great Satan" concede defeat.

There was a day when Americans were not quitters. I want to weep. How can we allow this great nation to fail?

Jerry Osgood
Galt