Bereuter's assessment is valuable (op ed from the Heartland: Iraq war)

[jbfam4]

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2004/08/19/editorial_main/10053889.txt

Bereuter's assessment is valuable

Rep. Doug Bereuter should be commended for sharing his assessment that, in retrospect, it was a mistake for the United States to launch its pre-emptive military attack in Iraq.

A thoughtful, objective, dispassionate voice is a rarity in politics, especially in Washington, D.C. in today's era when politicians rarely dare to stray from dogma for fear their own party colleagues will retaliate.

Bereuter, of course, is leaving those concerns behind, since he's stepping down from congress effective Sept. 1.

Some Nebraskans at this point probably share Bereuter's view that the war in Iraq now looks like a mistake. More probably will come around to that opinion as turmoil and violence in Iraq continues to drag on with no clear end in sight.