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Re: The doomsayers got it wrong on Iraq, April 10,

The Citizen editorial crowed about the results in Iraq, claiming victory and counting the score at the end of the first period.

I predicted in my March 7 opinion article (Ask the right questions) that "Victory (for the U.S.) should be easy against a military and population weakened by 12 years of sanctions."

While we can rejoice at the overthrow of the widely hated Saddam Hussein regime, winning the peace is another thing.

The Revolutionary Guard and Iraqi leadership evaporated, reminiscent of the other great "victory," dismantling al-Qaeda and getting Osama bin Laden.

In the current chaos, with electricity, water supply and sewage systems destroyed, hospitals looted and aid workers unable to enter many towns because of security concerns, the humanitarian situation is guarded. Increased mortality related to these events will have to be tallied later.

Having alienated allies and the United Nations, the U.S., without a plan to establish law and order, now invites the international community to help mop up.

Balancing desires of the majority Shias with Kurds, Sunnis and other ethnic and religious minorities with the concerns of neighbouring Iran and Turkey will be challenging. Using proceeds of privatized Iraqi oil to pay U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney's former firm, Halliburton, to repair damage caused by the U.S. military campaign will not restore the confidence of Iraqis.

Nor will the installation of either the Pentagon-supported Ahmed Chalabi or Gen. Jay Garner, known to support Israel's hardline suppression of the Palestinian intifada, win back the Arab street.

Unable to find the remotest connection to Sept. 11, 2001, to justify this gross violation of international law on sovereignty, the U.S. now claims that months will be required to produce evidence of presence of weapons of mass destruction (its casus belli), months it was unwilling to give to UN inspection teams. Meanwhile, Saddam Hussein's demonstrated non-use of those weapons with his survival at stake speaks volumes.

Our prime minister asks, "Who is next" for a regime change? The dangers of this precedent will haunt the U.S. for decades, as other countries launch preventive wars unless deterred by threat of U.S. force.

Neil Arya,

Ottawa