Buchanan on Iraq Crisis

Jeane Kirkpatrick (“We Have the Means; We Need the Will,” Column Right, Commentary, Nov. 11) once again demonstrates her hawkish views on world affairs. She suggests that President Bush should not wait any longer. He should go ahead and do whatever needs to be done to get Iraq out from Kuwait. I wonder if she has thought of the consequences of that rash and unwise action. Is America ready again to tolerate as many as (or more than) 30,000 casualties? If the war drags on, are the so-called allies going to keep supporting the United States?

If the United States resorts to highly selective aerial bombing, would we be ready to have Saudi oil fields bombed by Iraq in retaliation and the world’s oil supply disrupted? If war starts, the whole world’s economy will dive into deep recession; the oil supply will be disrupted and much of the trade and shipping will be jeopardized with dire consequences for all the nations. Is such action wise? Has America exhausted all diplomatic and other peaceful options?

I think this country and other Western powers as well as Russia and China must find a way out from this quagmire. Waging war is simply not the way of the civilized.

CHAITANYA DAVE, Rancho Palos Verdes