Peacekeeping

* “Anatomy of a Failure,” by Alan Tonelson and Ted Galen Carpenter (Opinion, March 14), had many valid points but failed to offer any hope of a solution to the wars that are raging all over the globe. Throughout history we see examples of clever opportunists seizing power by generating fear, suspicion and hatred of one group toward another. The reason the peacekeeping efforts of the U.N. and the U.S. are failing is because they are trying to deal with the results instead of having the foresight to deal with the cause. The best way of dealing with the cause is to establish an independent international criminal court as a part of the U.N., with the power to indict, extradite and try opportunists who foment the conflicts we are seeing around the world.

The U.S. should not try to be the peacekeeper. It would be far cheaper to pay our dues to the U.N. and let it deal with the problems. The claim that this court might try some of our soldiers overseas if it were an independent court is simply a transparent argument on the part of anti-U.N. people.

JOHN M. GAULT

Lawndale