U.S. Role in Building Iraqi War Machine

According to Robin Wright’s excellent piece on “How U.S. Helped Build Iraqi War Machine” (Aug. 7), the current crisis in the Middle East is the direct result of U.S. interventionism. Four years ago America advisers taught the Iraqis how to win a blitzkrieg-style war against Iran and now Saddam Hussein is using our expertise and weapons purchased from the West to threaten the rest of the Arab world. Can we blame the Iraqis without also blaming ourselves?

How long will it before the United States government realizes that the billions of dollars it spend on arms exports both weaken our economy (by diverting U.S. industry to non-productive uses) and destabilize the rest of the world (by strengthening military dictators like Noriega and Hussein).

The answer in the Middle East (and in the rest of the world) is not to pour fuel on the flames of religious and nationalist hatreds by importing arms and encouraging militarism, but to withdraw military aid and focus on nonviolent, political solutions.

Flexing our military might may provide apparent short-term solutions but doesn’t address the underlying problems or create the conditions necessary for a stable and durable peace. Let’s use economic sanctions and the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations to help resolve the conflicts in the Middle East. We cannot afford to keep fanning the flames of war in this highly volatile region.

ANTHONY MANOUSOS

San Bernardino