War in itself, as Ernest Hemingway said, is a crime against humanity, and the politicians on all sides who start them should be prosecuted.

War is like chemotherapy, and this war has been fought humanely. This is what Craig Ziemba believes in.

If anyone sees Craig Ziemba, ask him if 17 defied United Nations resolutions by Saddam is worth more than 2,100 lives and two to three American soldiers being killed every day. There are 15,000 wounded, half of whom can't go back into service. Also, at least 40,000 innocent Iraqis have died.

Also ask Ziemba whether the United States has found any weapons of mass destruction - for example, the manned and unmanned aerial vehicles that could target the United States with chemical or biological weapons. Also ask him if the United States found the nuclear weapon that Saddam and his holy warriors were supposed to be building.

Ask him if the United States tried to make Saddam our stooge, like the Shah of Iran was ours. Then ask Ziemba how many Americans were killed or anyone else when the U.N. inspectors did their jobs. Also ask him what great progress we've made after 21/2 years of occupation.

Edward J. Giovanetti