LETTER TO EDITOR:

I doubt that this will be published, but in view of the article on Aug. 16th, re-hashing the events at Abu Graib (yet again), I'll submit my comments, on the off-chance that The Statesman will publish them anyway, in an attempt to maintain some vestige of editorial honesty.

One need not have the extensive education of which Mr. Hall is so insufferably proud to recognize that everything he writes is colored by his Liberal views - including his obvious hatred for our military. Coming from a military family however, I resent his repeated diatribes against the character of ALL of our service men and women, based on the sins of the few.

Of course, it is only Conservatives who must ALL be held accountable for any trespass committed by an individual - Liberals are routinely permitted to disavow any guilt-by-association when one of them messes up.

The pattern is so old and transparent: if Liberals can't take credit for a plan or idea, or gain political ground with it, they declare that "it won't work." If - Heaven forbid! - it DOES actually work, then they declare that there must be some crime or corruption involved. At all cost, they will never admit they were wrong.

And the Iraqi War is a prime example: Democrats voted right along with Republicans to go to Iraq, but when there was no "instant" Victory to take credit for, suddenly they rushed to distance themselves from any responsibility by declaring that the War was wrong, and our strategy wouldn't work.

Unfortunately for them, it IS working. So now the Liberal media pundits are all falling back on Plan B: more accusations of corruption and crime in our military. And right along with the rest of the trained seals, Mr. Hall has declared our military all murderers and rapists (again), insisting that the events at Abu Graib - and forty years ago in Mai Lai - supposedly prove it. How sad to hate your own nation that much.

As for the terrible "torture" our enemies have been subjected to, I'm sick of hearing it. I'm sick of weak-kneed appeasers wringing their hands in anguish over the fate of these animals. These terrorists killed 3,000 of our citizens in a cowardly, underhanded, sneak attack - and continually threaten to kill more. They routinely gang up on and behead one hostage at a time. (How courageous!) They have actually baked like a pig the children of Iraqis who oppose them. But being forced to wear women's panties is torture for them? How gutless!

I have no respect or sympathy for these monsters, and I couldn't care less if they feel "humiliated." Let me repeat that again, in case Mr. Hall missed it: I DON'T CARE if Islamic terrorists feel uncomfortable, unappreciated, or humiliated -- if it were up to me, their fate would be much worse. But people like Mr. Hall should get on their knees and thank Almighty God that our military is out there protecting their ungrateful posteriors.

Diana Clark, Chandler, Texas