Buchanan on Iraq Crisis

In his typically arrogant fashion, Patrick Buchanan again attacks America and the democratic concepts we stand for (“We Still Don’t Know Why We Must Fight,” Column Right, Commentary, Nov. 12).

He asks what vital interests of ours are threatened by Iraq. I realize that Buchanan considers himself an expert on political matters, but his failure to consider historical events and precedents greatly lowers his credibility.

Can Buchanan name even one military dictator who has ever been stopped, or even discouraged, by appeasement? Of course not. Putting the Middle East in the hands of Saddam Hussein would result in the slavery of countless Arabs and their states. It would make the world’s largest oil reserves subject to blackmail, which could result in the economic destruction of Western Europe, Japan and even possibly ourselves.

Buchanan asks, if the destruction of Iraq’s war machine is achieved, will that bring stability? Probably not, in the sense that we’d like it to be. That region hasn’t really been “stable” for thousands of years. But is this any reason not to continue attempts in that direction?

Buchanan should know better than to be duped by the Arabists into attacking his nation’s attempt to defend Western civilization and to prevent the Mideast crisis from flaring up into a catastrophic world war.

IRVING E. FRIEDMAN, Laguna Beach