We must continue fighting al-Qaida

Our withdrawal from Iraq seems to be a certainty. A mess has been created that will take decades for the Iraqis to solve. Our presence will not change that either way so we might as well save our lives and treasury.

As for Afghanistan, news reports indicate that the war is not going well. Perhaps the U.S., while continuing to hunt down al-Qaida, should try to attempt to negotiate with the more moderate elements of the Taliban. We're already paying them protection money for our supply convoys anyway. This could have the effect of dividing the moderate from the radical Taliban, strengthening our position. A divided enemy would be weakened against our forces.

Also, we must accept that the Afghans will not accept a western-style society or government and we must be sensitive to their culture and beliefs.

With these thoughts we must continue to hunt Al Qaida around the world with more effective intelligence and less reliance on pure military might.

Then let's work for peace and justice in our new diplomatic efforts.

Ramsey E. Parhad

Mount Prospect