The U.S. Army wants one good tiger

In an effort to make amends for the irresponsible actions of U.S. soldiers, the ill-conceived scheme to send a tiger to the Baghdad Zoo is moving forward with considerable support from the U.S. military. The Air Force intends to supply the C-17 cargo airplane to transport the tiger from Fort Worth, Texas, to Iraq, a flight that will cost approximately $150,000 just for the plane's fuel. An endorsement of the plan on Department of the Army letterhead has been provided with the permit application to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

A "gesture of goodwill"

The proposal to send a tiger to the Baghdad Zoo is being portrayed as a "gesture of goodwill" toward the citizens of Iraq. While the anger of the Iraqi people regarding the killing of the zoo's tiger by a drunken U.S. soldier is certainly justified, to put another tiger in harm's way would be cruel and irresponsible.