Demand an end to war
If truth be said, Gen. David H. Petraeus' speech was a nonevent. It sounded like the same script that previous Pentagon hacks have regurgitated.

He advocates a miniscule withdrawal of troops in six months, while the war and occupation, which has caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands, and suffering for U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians continues.

There is no real change in policy in the offing. Petraeus may not know it, but plans of President George W. Bush and the neo-cons to establish a stable colonial regime in Iraq that could be used as a launching pad to invade Iran and dominate the Middle East have failed.

The Iraq War has been a disaster from any perspective. It can end only with a complete and total U.S. withdrawal.

A recent BBC poll showed that 61 percent of U.S. citizens want all U.S. troops withdrawn from Iraq in a year. It is time for the Bush administration to listen to world opinion and that of American citizens.

Too many Democratic leaders, unfortunately, continue to dither while U.S. troops die or are wounded in Iraq. At the same time, the standard of living is falling for six out of 10 Americans, many of whom lack minimal health insurance.

Bush's imperial dreams are taking a fierce toll on the wellbeing of huge numbers of our citizens, even as a U.S. economic recession or depression looms on the horizon. Our financial resources should be used to uphold the standard of living of the American people, not wasted on aggressive and illegal military adventures.

Huge demonstrations against the war were and are planned for Sept. 15 and 29 in Washington, D.C., and regional demonstrations in many cities on Oct. 27, including New York City. The anti-war movement is building.

So too is the movement to impeach President Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney for violations of the U.S. Constitution and the rights of citizens and for launching an illegal and unprovoked war.

Petraeus and Bush will soon be history. The question is, how long will this bloody and tragic war continue before the U.S. is finally forced out, and what will happen to the millions who have suffered as the result of it?

Let's end the war now! Everyone to Washington, or N.Y.C., or wherever the demonstrations are. Demand that our political representatives in Congress cut off funds for the war now!

Rob Moir Fair Haven