Not a threat

President Bush was wrong to try to equate the war in Iraq and 9/11. These two events are separate and have nothing to do with each other. Bush was incorrect in his assertion that Iraq posed a "clear threat" to the United States. He should have added that Iraq was not a "clear threat" to the United States until his administration illegally invaded Iraq, resulting in the death of tens of thousands of innocent Arabs. Our illegal invasion has set the Middle East in flames and is the prime reason for terror attacks. The United States has interfered in Middle East governments for decades. The reason is simple -- liquid gold in the form of oil. We need an energy policy that makes us less dependent on Mideast oil wells. This administration has fought for big oil and the result is the United States being oil-dependent. This invasion has cost the U.S. taxpayer close to $1 trillion. I am sure that if this amount had been put to use in an energy policy, our dependence on oil would be minimal. Bush's misguided Middle East policy has made Americans less secure than at any time in our history. Rober Draper, Mickelton - Published in the Courier Post, September 23, 2006