So far, I have refrained from commenting o­n the United States-Iraq issue. However, Tilda Sosaya's (US needs a regime change too) and Ken Cowan's (Some Americans seen the mistake of going to war)

letters prompted me to speak out.

It is not because I find the views of Ms Sosaya and Mr Cowan repulsive or wrong, but because their letters seem to be more anti-Bush than anti-war. (I am guessing from Tilda Sosaya's name that it is 'Ms', so my apologies in advance for any error).

Many other opinions, published in malaysiakini and elsewhere, also seem more anti-Bush (and sometimes anti-American) than anti-war.

Mr. Bush may or may not be as unpleasant as his detractors say he is, but I think it is wrong to conclude that an unpleasant person is always wrong. Similarly, just because America's various foreign policies have many flaws does not automatically mean that they are all wrong.

The focus, I believe, should be o­n whether the argument presented by the United States for war against Iraq is correct.

Is Mr. Bush's unpleasantness, or his slim election victory, really relevant to that argument? How does (say) American interference in South American politics some 30 years ago impact o­n the issue at hand?

If they are relevant, do elaborate. But while o­ne is entitled to believe that America deserves all the catastrophes the world has to offer as karmic retribution for all its misdeeds and misguided policies, please don't mix up anti-Bush sentiments (or anti-Americanism) with the anti-war cause.

The United States argument seems to be that:

1) Iraq has been developing, and continues to develop, weapons of mass destruction;

2) Iraq, under its present leadership, is prepared to attack countries it does not agree with;

3) Iraq is prepared to use WMD (though so far o­nly against domestic rebels);

4) in light of the above, the United States, and its allies, have no alternative except to make a pre-emptive attack against Iraq (I do not mention the interests of the world community, since our world seems divided o­n this issue); and

5) Although I don't recall any express statement to such effect, the impression the Americans wish to convey is that there is no other reason (eg oil) for such an attack.

To support the anti-war cause, should we not be trying to poke holes in this argument?

Points 4 and 5 seem to be quite promising. Please don't just state a conclusion; provide supporting facts for the rest of us to decide for ourselves.

It is well and good that Ms Sosaya seeks prison reform, but I fail to see how prison reform is relevant to the United States-Iraq issue.

Mr Cowan's letter does not seek to address the correctness or otherwise of the American government's argument, but merely to brand those who support the war as ignorant, insular and gullible.

Of all his targets for criticism, the o­ne I feel sorriest for is Mr Powell. Mr Cowan seems to imply that Mr Powell's change of position is not because he agrees with Mr Bush's views, but to curry Mr Bush's favour. I don't know about Mr Cowan, but I think it is better to be labeled an idiot rather than a selfish sell-out.

On a more general level, I think that those of us who express our views publicly should strive to provide all relevant information, so that we can all have fully-informed discussions.

In the case of the "president select", I think it is relevant that the New York Times newspaper (hardly a supporter of Mr Bush) concluded that Mr Bush probably would still have been declared the winner even if there had been a recount, after organizing an examination of the disputed Florida ballots.

It is good of Mr Cowan to restrict his barbs to Mr Bush's failure to win the popular vote, but I recall reading somewhere that getting 67% of American support o­n any issue is something of an achievement. (Something to do with o­ne-third of America almost always supporting the Democratic party and opposing the Republicans, another third doing the opposite, and the last third being the important swing voters.)

Perhaps Mr Cowan, being an American, can shed more light o­n this issue.

Finally, I'd like to thank malaysiakini for providing this forum. Your published letters have at times left me shocked and horrified, but it is always helpful to see how fellow Malaysians, and the handful of foreign observers, think.

I hope that malaysiakini can continue to be a source of thought-provoking arguments, notwithstanding your recent legal troubles.