I am writing to express my disagreement to the motive given for the U.S.-led war of liberation in Iraq expressed by William Randall (May 2). Namely, his contention that the primary reason for the war was not to liberate the Iraqi people from a corrupt and evil regime but “solely to liberate their oil fields.”

Moreover, he further contends that the U.S. has no intention of pulling out of Iraq – ever?!

His evidence for these contentions, which betray an overarching cynicism: “A little bird who had been talking to Cheney” told him so! Such allegations should be based on facts, not an anonymous “bird.”

Before impugning the motives and besmirching the honor of President Bush and of such people as Cheney, Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice – all respected leaders of integrity and honor! – I would insist on irrefutable, non-hearsa1y evidence.

And, believing in their intrinsic decency and integrity, I doubt that they would risk sullying their reputation and honor by sanctioning an action deemed by them to be immoral.

Mr. Randall also mentions that the same Shi’ites who first welcomed and thanked our troops for liberating them turned against them a short time later. Possible, but not too likely.

I think a better explanation for latter belligerence was the infiltration by fundamentalist Iranian Shi’ites who intermingled with and inflamed the Iraqi Shi’ite population. Their motive: To stir up hatred for the U.S.-led coalition and to try to bring about a theocratic Islamic state.

Stanley Rice, Turner