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To the Editor: 

I want to express my strong support for the remarks of Sen. Tom Daschle condemning President George W. Bush's politicization of the proposed Department of Homeland Defense during his recent campaign fund-raising speech in Trenton, N.J. Mr. Bush and his allies in the House and Senate are gambling unconscionably with the world's future, while attempting to use the debate over a resolution to authorize the use of military force against Iraq for mere political gain before the November mid-term elections. Given Mr. Bush's past record of desertion from a Texas Air National Guard post, which he obtained by political influence (see awolbush.com), his willingness to put American military service members' lives in jeopardy is hypocritical and immoral. 

It is particularly appalling to note that the Bush administration has been planning for a war against Iraq since well before the events of Sept. 11, 2001 (see Sept. 22, 2002 New York Times article, “Bush's Push on Iraq at U.N.: Headway, Then New Barriers”). This makes it clear that the supposed urgency to take military action against Iraq is not rooted in any new intelligence information or threat posed by Iraq toward the United States. The administration has embarked on an extremely risky “wag the dog” foreign policy that is dominated by purely political considerations, rather than national security. 

I urge Congress to resist the Bush administration's attempt to railroad the U.S. into an unnecessary war with Iraq that would undoubtedly kill thousands of innocent civilians, as well as unforeseeable numbers of American and allied men and women of the armed services. The consequences of such a war are far from predictable and would likely be disastrous. Sen. Daschle is right to demand an apology from President Bush for his egregiously insulting and partisan comments during his recent speech in Trenton, N.J. 

Taylor Bennett 

Berkeley