In a column, Charles Krauthammer (“Debunking myths about Iraq,” BDN, Oct. 6) repeats the tired claim that “one of the reasons that we have gone an astonishing five years without a second attack on the American homeland is that the most dedicated and virulent jihadists have gone to Iraq to fight us over there.”

This is wrong and misleading. The real reason is that after 9-11 our government was finally forced to take our airline and other forms of security more seriously. Even then, if we will recall, the Bush administration actually fought against federalizing airport security due to their political distaste of the possibility that the security personnel might unionize. Thankfully the uproar was loud enough that the administration finally agreed, though only with a clause that the workers were not allowed to organize.

The needless attack and occupation of Iraq has been an absolute disaster, tens of thousands of precious lives and hundreds of billions of our critical tax dollars have been lost. The worldwide sympathy that our nation received after 9-11 has evaporated due to the implementation of this unprovoked war. Our troops are not over there “fighting for our freedom” as the administration attempts to condition us to believe, they are over there fighting for their lives.

It is time to bring them home (this includes members of my family who are serving), before another one dies. End this war so the healing process can begin and we can finally have real progress toward a more secure and peaceful world.

Tom Winton

Bangor