When will they be held accountable?

While reading your Aug. 1 account of Donald Rumsfeld's testimony before the House committee investigating the military and governmental cover-up of the facts of Pat Tillman's death, I was struck by the degree of incompetence and lack of accountability of those men who guided the Iraqi invasion for the first 3 or 4 years.

They manipulated the press and the American people, they twisted the facts, they distorted the truth (the Jessica Lynch "rescue mission" and subsequent elevation to hero status is another example), they manufactured evidence whenever the need arose, and whenever it appeared the American people weren't buying it, they waved the flag and shouted from the rooftops that they were protecting America from terrorist attacks at home, and raised the national terrorism threat level another notch just to prove it.

And yet, time and again, during questioning, Rumsfeld, retired Gens. John Abazid, Gen. Philip Kensinger and others could not recall any of the pertinent facts; when they were told the truth about Tillman's death, who they then told, what they told them, how long before they told them, who else knew, was the president told?

They knew nothing! Sgt. Schultz would be so proud!

And yet, these were the people in charge. They pat each other on the back and say how much they admire each other. It's amazing that we've only had 3,600 Americans die so far with this kind of incompetence leading them into battle. It only makes their deaths more tragic, and more heroic.

Ten, or 20 or 30 years from now, when the truth finally comes out about this war -- and it inevitably will -- the American people are going to be ashamed at this administration's conduct and ashamed at ourselves for letting them get away with it.

Tom Dillivan

Schaumburg