Letter: Iraqi allies shouldn't move here

The idea of allowing Iraqis who helped the United States topple Saddam Hussein into this country is a very bad one ["U.S. mustn't turn its back on Iraqis who helped," Opinion, July 21]. The writer leaves out a fact that many in the military and State Department understand.

The fact that some Iraqis helped us depose a hated leader does not mean that those people support the United States or believe in our system. Many Islamic extremists have worked for and with the United States to destroy a common enemy and then turned on us. For example, Osama bin Laden fought the Soviets in Afghanistan. Following the logic of Newsday's opinion writer, we should have allowed him and the other jihadists into the United States.

Bernard A. Bilawsky, North Massapequa