I'm Finally Attacked For My Views

In this morning's paper there was a letter from a gentleman(?) who had a different opinion of mine on the subject of the Status of Forces Agreement that appreared last week in the local paper. I sent the following to the paper and asked them to please print it as no one likes being attacked in print.

Dear editor:

I make it a point to never answer Letters to the Editor that involve criticism of letters of mine that have appeared in the American Press. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I believe that hearing both sides of a story is good. But I must make an exception to the letter of Walter Weidner, not only taking a different view than mine on the Status of Forces Agreement, but personally attacking me by stating “he is not competent or experienced. Evidently he has never been in military service.” (As a matter of fact I am surprised that the American Press would allow this.) Allow me to correct him.

My family has had a long history of service to this country both in and out of the military. My father served in World War II, my brother spent two years in the Orient in the U.S. Army, I was drafted into the army, serving two years active duty, two years active reserves and two years inactive reserves. In addition, my son is a career Naval Officer (Commander) and has served three years with Navy Special Forces and has seen action in Iraq on the ground with US Navy Seals, and has just returned from deployments in Bahrain and Qatar. I hold this history up proudly.

But in so far as Status of Forces Agreements having been used for years, that history does not make it right for the president, any president, to ignore the Constitution of the United States which gives power to the Senate to approve or disapprove foreign entanglements and treaties. Any true student of American history knows that. The president does not have “final authority” as you claim. Even the newly created government of Iraq knows that, as they needed confirmation by their legislature.