Next president should believe in peace

Steve Merrill (letter Nov. 19) and Fresno Bee readers need to be reminded that President Obama did not withdraw from Iraq, against all military advice.

Former President George W. Bush, who declared war on Iraq because of 9/11 and weapons of mass destruction, when in fact there was no evidence Iraq was responsible for 9/11 and no WMDs were ever found.

Bush stipulated the withdrawal timeline from Iraq that took effect after he left office. Remember when Bush declared “mission accomplished” around 10 years ago?

And to further jog his memory, former President Ronald Reagan made the Iran-Contra arms deal with Iran oil money . And Reagan was going for an Academy Award for, “We do not make deals with terrorists.” So who helped set the stage for a Middle East nuclear power?

Same president, Reagan, declared the Cold War was over 30 years ago.

My choice for the next president is not one who wants to build a wall around our country, nor one who wants every dollar to go to becoming the king of the hill, but one who believes there is room in the world for all of us to live peacefully.

This story was originally published November 26, 2015 at 4:28 AM with the headline "Next president should believe in peace."