HECK OF A MESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST (or ARE WE PREPARED?)

This was a letter that I wrote to the editor around Sept. I was concerned about the trouble in the Middle East, particularly in Iran, and wondered of our preparedness for it.

Dear Editor,

With the uproar in Iran escalating it is impossible to ignore if we are or are not prepared for a conflict.

When 9/11 happened it was a no-brainer to go after the SOB's that brought it about. We went into Afghanistan, dethroned the Taliban, the world understood and applauded. But we let up, let Bin Laden slip by and now the Taliban is regaining their monstrous foothold in that country.

Then, inexplicably and with merely a wisp of international support, and for reasons now that have proven to be lies, we entered Iraq and destablized a region that now brinks on civil war. We have hundreds of thousands of troops stationed there and there appears to be no end in sight.

If Ahmadinejad has his way we will have a war that circles the globe and brings ruin on all populations.

Do we have the troops necessary to stop this madman? Or will we be caught with our pants down with most of our troops fighting a ridiculous and unnecessary war?

We should focus our national resources on those issues that really matter and not on expanding the coffers of those who hungrily embrace war.