Funds to Fight Terrorism

In an effort to combat terrorism, President Clinton gave Israel $100 million and unprecedented access to U.S. intelligence data (March 15). How much did he give to the Palestinian Authority? An hour meeting with a couple of CIA agents, but no money--not that money is a panacea for everything.

The point is that until the Palestinian economic infrastructure is rebuilt and the Palestinian people are permitted true freedom, there will regrettably be an unending supply of wannabe terrorists.

Tijuana is better off economically than is the Gaza Strip and occupied Palestine. The people of Tijuana even have far more political freedom than Palestinians. How many U.S. citizens would trade their lot for that of the people of Tijuana? Let alone for that of the Palestinians. The people of Tijuana have an escape valve though: They can cross the border. What escape valve do the Palestinians have? There are many Israelis who would like the Palestinians to cross the border too, into Jordan.

Tragically, a tiny minority of Palestinians choose the escape valve of suicide bombing.

Part of the solution would be to spend the $100 million on factories, roads, housing, job training and schools for the Palestinians instead of giving Israel better bomb detection equipment.

Give the Palestinians the resources and the freedoms to build a prosperous and free Palestine and the terrorists lose. Give the Israelis bomb detection equipment and the terrorists win.

ARCH MILLER

Arcadia

* I would tell Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu that the Egyptian summit has already achieved positive results by implicitly diminishing his stature and the Likud agenda of relentless colonization. To paraphrase Golda Meir, there is no such thing as a biblical right. Your March 14 photo of so many former antagonists assembled for peace vividly demonstrates who are on the side of the angels.

FREYA SMALLWOOD

Los Angeles