We’re bribing, not beating insurgents

To the editor:

The current administration would have us believe that because casualties are down relative to other months in and around Baghdad, the much-touted “surge,” with 30,000 additional troops worth of firepower at its disposal, is working.

Such is not the case, however.

The current edition of Newsweek reports that insurgents are being recruited to work with U.S. forces and paid handsome fees to do so; some $767 million has already been allocated for this purpose, Newsweek reports, and the Pentagon plans to ask Congress for $450 million more. Among the more stunning examples of those being paid is a notorious insurgent whom U.S. Army officers refer to as “Mr. X,” a kind of “Tony Soprano” of the area. Another is a murderous Jan Baz, whom the U.S. military installed as police chief, putting the jihadist on the U.S. payroll.

When is enough going to be enough? What exactly is the definition of victory in Iraq?

Do those who support this “war on terror” really expect Sunnis and Shiites to sit around the campfire, holding hands and sing “Kumbaya” in Arabic?

John Esperian

LAS VEGAS

Punishing journalists

To the editor:

As the current news editor at UNLV’s Rebel Yell, I am very disappointed in the Friday Review-Journal editorial, “Stealing newspapers a form of censorship: But UNLV editor’s essay on terrorist attack was absurd.”

The editorial is about Rebel Yell Opinion Editor Sharief Ali’s March 10 article, “Attack shocks, doesn’t surprise.” While certain facts within Mr. Ali’s article are up for debate, the Review-Journal editorial’s suggestion that students should be given the option of discontinuing funding for the student-run newspaper is an insult. Why suggest punishing the entire editorial staff for a decision made by only a handful of individuals?

Given graduation dates and other factors, the majority of the individuals involved with this controversy will no longer be affiliated with the student-run newspaper after UNLV’s May graduation. For those of us who will be back, the Review-Journal’s suggestion is disheartening. I sincerely hope the Review-Journal editorial board reconsiders the importance of student journalism.

Regardless of what mistakes were made, silencing the overall voice will achieve nothing.

April Corbin

LAS VEGAS

Bias is showing

To the editor:

I see once again that any controversy concerning a political candidate of the Democratic persuasion is sufficient to bring out the strident voices of the far-right patronage of your newspaper (“Is Obama ‘The Manchurian Candidate’?” and “A pattern,” Thursday letters).

While I agree that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s alleged “un-American ranting and raving,” to loosely quote the esteemed (by the far-right fringe) Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, does not sit well with most of white America, Sen. Barack Obama did not and does not endorse those words, as he so eloquently stated in his televised speech. However, such denials seem to mean nothing to the people who dislike him and continue to use the controversy against him.

I find it odd that Sen. Obama’s supposed transgressions receive so much ink, but not a word from the right is said about the minister, embraced by GOP Sen. John McCain, who thinks that the Catholic Church is “The Great Whore.”

In a town where “Your Vegas is showing” is a source of pride, the statement “Your bias is showing” might be more appropriate for its major newsprint outlet.

Don Shirley

LAS VEGAS

Big spenders

To the editor:

National news states that we’re in an economic slowdown, if not a recession. I would beg to disagree, with the proof in the Las Vegas club scene.

Case in point: Jet at The Mirage. Fifteen thousand square feet of jam-packed clubbers this past Friday night lining up to pay at least $20 to get in, and they were paying a ridiculous $17 for a Red Bull-vodka drink.

Sol Henik

WALNUT CREEK, CALIF.

Way to go, Rebels

To the editor:

Congratulations and thank you to coach Lon Kruger and his UNLV Rebels. No one believed they would achieve the level of success they did this year. The players did, however, never losing faith in themselves or each other.

Coach Kruger’s class rubs off on all the assistant coaches, team managers and players that are part of his program.

I am as proud of this group as any of the others in the 34 years I have been a fan of UNLV basketball.

Joe Rodak

LAS VEGAS