Hijackers

The Kuwaiti government could have prevented the murder of the two hostages on that hijacked plane by making a very simple, solemn promise to the hijackers: You kill one hostage, and we execute one of the prisoners you want freed! I am convinced that no one would have died, and it would not have been necessary to execute even one prisoner.

Some people, no doubt, would object with the shopworn, senseless argument that this would put the Kuwaiti government on an equal level of moral degradation with the terrorists. Nonsense! Killing cold-blooded murderers in retaliation is not the same as murdering innocent people!

GERALD G. SILLS

Santa Monica