Joel Saren

To the editor,

On a flight on a recent business tripmy plane approached Washington National Airport and we flew over Arlington National Cemetary. I couldn't help but notice the straight lines of all the white headstones where our servicemen and women have been laid to rest. As I looked down there I wondered where they were going to put the 1,000 new graves and headstones of those that died in Iraq fighting George Bush's war.

Some would day that since it is an all volunteer military the servicemen and women volunteered to go into harm's way. Is that also true of the 50,000 who were released from active duty, but reactivated to fight Bush's war? I am not writing about the war. We are there and our military is just following orders from the Commander-in-Chief. I am writingon behalf of the 1,000 who have died for what?

Did they die for the freedom of America? Did they die for the freedom of NATO? Did they die because a friendly nation was invaded? No, these 1,000 died because of Weapons of Mass Destruction and these WMD were going to be used against us.

Our political parties will have their conventions soon and Tom Ridge is very concerned about the security ofthese convention centers. Did our invasion of Iraq really mitigate these present risks or increase them? So once again I ask, why did these 1,000 die?

I am a disabled veteran (USMC) and we don't hear about how many of our servicemen and women will need new limbs, eyes, ears and care for the next 50 years — for what? To rid the world of Saddam and WMD?

How else could we have used the $200 billion that this trumped up war is costing us?

Joel Saren

East Hampstead