The Editor

The San Francisco Chronicle

To the Editor:

They say that a picture is worth ten thousand words and your front page picture (The Chronicle, 14 July) showing two heavily armed American GIs handling three Iraqi prisoners with their hands tied behind their backs and paper bags over their heads tells the whole Iraq story in a nutshell. The headline above reads, "Iraqi ruling council takes over: Citizen Board: Appointed by U. S., 25 members face uphill battle for legitimacy." I should say so, a newly-minted puppet colonial government administered with veto power by Paul Bremer, Rumsfeld, Rice and Bush. Puppet governments beholden to foreigners are never popular with the people.

In our revolutionary struggle to free ourselves of British colonial rule (1776 - 1783) we fought with every means, fair, foul or otherwise. Now we fault the Iraqis for merely doing the same to rid their country of British and American colonial military power. Bush lied his way into Iraq, but he won't be able to lie his way out of Iraq. He is stuck to his Iraqi tar-baby and it will lead to his ultimate downfall. This is the eve of Bush self-destruction...

P. S. Happy Bastille Day, Viva La France.

Yours truly,

James K. Sayre

14 July 2003