An Impending War?
To attack when necessary is bad enough, but to go to war on an if, a might and a maybe leaves me speechless. And now, eloquent speech writers will make something noble out of this macho militancy. Michael G. Driver Ichihara, Japan
George W. Bush’s decision on Iraq will be an awful attack for the whole world because, as we know, Iraq has admitted to having at least 3.9 tons of VX gas that can be used in war. Besides, we cannot ignore the reaction of the world’s Muslims against the United States. Walayat Hussain via internet
I’m very worried that president Bush will initiate something to force leaders to justify the war with Iraq. It seems like his father’s revenge–and our young will pay the price along with other innocent people who may get in the way. Marta Eskridge Wilmington, Delaware
The United States is totally justified in targeting a rogue Middle Eastern country that has weapons of mass destruction, invades its neighbors, defies U.N. resolutions and international laws, and oppresses and terrorizes minorities and opponents to its regime. The country I’m thinking of is Israel: it has nuclear weapons, has invaded Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, has consistently defied all U.N. resolutions pertaining to it and inflicts the worst kinds of terror on its Arab population. We should go and effect a regime change in Israel whether it accepts weapons inspectors or not. Ali Mili Newark, New Jersey
How about round-the-clock “bombing” of food, clothing, medical supplies, baby formula, radios, building materials, etc., in place of cruise missiles and Daisy Cutter bombs to win over the hearts, minds and stomachs of the Iraqi people suffering under Saddam Hussein’s regime? Continue “bombing” until the goods are piled high in the streets. Human nature is impressed by power, but it is also impressed by generosity and wealth. What better way to expose a suffering people to the ultimate corruption of their leadership than for America to shower them with the riches of a better system? How would Saddam look to his people if he were seen trying to shoot down U.S. planes filled with gifts instead of bombs? Christian Dufay Seattle, Washington
Atrocities by Proxy
Babak Dehghanpisheh, John Barry and Roy Gutman deserve congratulations for their excellent and most revealing coverage of “The War Crimes of Afghanistan,” (Special Report, Aug. 26). Gen. Tommy Franks can’t possibly deny the close involvement of U.S. soldiers with Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum during the transfer of prisoners in the containers. Capt. Mark D. Nutsch of Special Forces 595A team, always with General Dostum, didn’t want to discuss the matter with your reporters. We in the Third World wait to see if the U.S. administration’s hawks take moral responsibility or pass this off as merely collateral damage of war. Syed Farhat Ahmad Roomy Dhaka, Bangladesh
Congratulations on your coverage of war crimes in Afghanistan. I’m sure Americans must be embarrassed that their forces either participated in–or at least did nothing to help prevent–the atrocities committed by the Northern Alliance against the Taliban. War crimes cannot be justified on any grounds. Your bold revelations must alert those in charge to initiate a full-fledged international inquiry. If we do not distance ourselves from these public enemies, we cannot complain about what has happened in Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda or elsewhere. Hakan Senturk Istanbul, Turkey
Kudos to your entire team, especially your plucky investigative reporters, for their moral courage and commitment. Your report showed how a professionally committed team of journalists can expose atrocities of horrifying proportions despite all the odds and despite the obstructions created by those involved. M. Saleem Chaudhry Karachi, Pakistan
You exposed the ugly face of war and the war crimes by America’s Afghan allies who are no more than bandits and murderers. The warlord Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, known as a butcher and dubious crook, has an army of assassins at his command. This was a ruthless killing of prisoners of war. Why does the United States always bet on the wrong horse? Syed Rashid Ali Shah Vroomshoop, Netherlands
One has to be totally naive to believe that these war crimes were carried out by the United States’ valued allies, the Northern Alliance, without the knowledge or possible involvement of the U.S. Special Forces working so closely with them. Certainly the Pentagon’s stonewalling in the face of the appalling evidence of these mass killings of Taliban prisoners does not encourage belief in American protestations of innocence. And, surely, I am not the only one wondering about the most curious convergence of these revelations of war crimes and the Bush administration’s determined efforts to undermine the creation of an International Court of Criminal Justice. I must say their timing and motives appear both cynical and arrogant, if not far worse. Don Bay Froson, Sweden
I’m shocked by these killings of defenseless young prisoners in Afghanistan. To roast them alive in sealed cargo containers and have them die of heat, thirst and asphyxiation is a really horrific manner of killing people–even by proxy, as the United States seems to have done. It is now easy to understand why the United States is so strongly opposed to the International Court of Criminal Justice. Ademir Valezi Sao Paulo, Brazil
Churches in Conflict
Thanks for your story “War of the Faiths” (Europe, Aug. 26), which was very informative but also heartbreaking. I visited Ukraine and Russia in 1993 as part of a religious-education delegation and witnessed the devastation to those countries’ cathedrals, churches and synagogues wrought by decades of communist domination. The people were mostly ignorant of religious faith but spiritually hungry for words of comfort, hope and strength to sustain them through the difficult transition period that their countries were (and still are) going through. Now it is indeed tragic that Christian denominations as well as other world religions cannot work together to bring the people that faith in God. To waste their energies on turf wars is a betrayal of the Gospel of Jesus, who preached love. Let us hope that they will not squander this opportunity to build up the faiths of their people in bickering and battles of no consequence. Jennifer L. Rike Detroit, Michigan
As an Orthodox Christian, I’m saddened by the conflict between some members of my faith and those of other faiths over various church buildings and religious sites as well as control over who gets first dibs on the mission field in the former Soviet Union. Unfortunately, emotionally charged and rationalized pride seems to cause politics, culture and religion to get frequently bound up in conflicts over place. An alliance between church and state is not necessarily unholy, but the temptation to use the tools politicians use to manage temporal states should be avoided by religious leaders, whose interest must be in providing spiritual guidance. As you said, the Orthodox faithful have no reason to fear the pope or any other faith. The traditions our church has maintained for nearly 2,000 years require no supplementary support from political states or cross-wearing, patriotic, nationalist thugs. What attracts people is the truth revealed and lived in a faith, not ethnicity or the financial and political backing of a group of religious leaders. True religion transcends state affairs and politics of place. Loren Bundt Tokyo, Japan
I am a great fan of your magazine, and I read it cover to cover each week. But I was shocked to read in “War of the Faiths” that “Lutherans in Latvia complain of police harassment.” Please! Where did you get that? I live in Latvia and I am Lutheran. I can tell you nothing like that happens here; there is no discrimination or abuse because of religion. We have Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Jews, Buddhists and the Orthodox here–and everyone is free to believe what they want. The Dalai Lama was here last year and was welcomed most warmly. It was a big event for us. Please remember, Latvia is not Russia; the situation here is totally different. To ask someone in Russia for information about Latvia is the same as asking an Iraqi for information about the United States. Mairita Birgele Valmiera, Latvia
In the extremely complicated environment of today’s Russia, as Russian Orthodox dignitaries pity themselves on “Russians being stolen before we have a chance to get to them,” there is a simple question to be put to them: Where have you been these last seven decades? How come Russians are stolen from the Russian Orthodox Church so easily? How come Hungarians, Czechs, Poles and others are not being stolen from their churches? Kristoph Bonietzki Lubeck, Germany
Saddam’s Student
Regarding your article “Saddam’s Game” (World Affairs, May 6), it seems that Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was an apt student of the Iraqi dictator when it came to his own “string along the United Nations” tactics. Note his imperious refusal to allow the United Nations’ fact-finding mission into Jenin, his delaying actions and his ultimate success in having the United Nations abandon its efforts. What an obvious ploy and what a super way to cover up the suspected massacres, the revenge killings of innocent civilians, the mindless flattening of Palestinian homes. It was all so assiduously kept under wraps and left unproven. A part of the billions of U.S. dollars lavished on Israel could perhaps be diverted to the rebuilding of the Palestinian infrastructure, the smashed and desolate Palestinian homes. Colin J. Fairrie St. Albans, England
Don’t Whine for a Bonanza
I very much enjoyed Allan Sloan’s article about the bear market (“Will the Party Start Again?” Business, June 10). Where he explained in a concise and straightforward manner why the ’90s bonanza is over and won’t be back any time soon. He pointed out that it’s no use whining about today’s market, which as he so rightly put it, is just returning to the “normal mode.” A great article with well-seasoned examples, humor and good math. I’ve passed it on to my colleagues at the Asset Management Division. Yves Aka Udine, Italy
Of God, America and the Flag
As a sociologist, I’m surprised by the reaction of U.S. leaders to the decision of the federal court regarding the allegiance to the flag (“One Nation Under Judges,” World View, July 8). Their reaction seems similar to the reactions of fundamentalist regimes, even the Taliban. The anger by Senate leaders who, without giving any reason, react by calling the decision “stupid,” “ridiculous,” or “dumb,” just shows how religious intolerance and narrow-mindedness can bypass rational argument. The shameful threats made by senators to the judge who made the decision is a scary reminder of the violations of the right to freedom of expression seen in many Arab countries–countries that America criticizes for similar violations. America should question its own values. To a European, it appears to be one of the more religious fundamentalist states in the world. It is this type of conservatism that prevents different points of view from being discussed in a respectful way. Daan Schoemaker Amsterdam, Netherlands
Please take God out of inaugurations and out of the Pledge of Allegiance. How juvenile are these people who use it and insist on keeping it in? America was not founded on God. I’m Roman Catholic and still believe that as a 6-year-old in school–whether I happen to be Buddhist, or Native American whose God is a bird, or if I believed in a rock–I should not be forced to say God. We are a country of many religions; let’s keep church and state separate and keep God out of it all. Belief belongs in the home or church, not in the state, or government or school. Religion is private and this is a free country–let’s keep it free. April Collins via internet
