Furor Over Bush Scrapping ABM Treaty

Re “Bush Was Right to Abandon Treaty,” Commentary, Dec. 17, by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.): I wholeheartedly disagree with his radical right-wing rhetoric, especially his nonsense that the U.S. has proven our ability to “hit a bullet with a bullet.” In fact, a computer programmed the exact location of the “bullet” to be hit. In reality, will a missile defense shield have that luxury to predetermine exact location? No.

And how does Helms know for certain that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will support Bush’s decision to abandon the ABM treaty? He doesn’t.

Congress must not bail out in this most important issue of securing nuclear peace for future generations. The ABM treaty is the cornerstone of our freedom, not a detriment. It’s the GOP that threatens all sense of logic.

Dawn Clifton

Manhattan Beach

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Finally, a commentary about the ABM treaty by someone who obviously understands the how, why and when of the ABM treaty’s creation.

As an international relations graduate from UCLA, I studied, extensively, the Cold War era and was interested to see how few of the students really grasped the intent of the ABM treaty to promote MAD (mutually assured destruction). I have since concluded, therefore, that those not well versed in this deeply analytical subject would be quickly moved to condemn its eradication.

Quite the contrary!

Helms has beautifully written what President Bush has been trying to say all along. We are no longer in the ABM treaty era, and it must now be scrapped. How ironic--that almost sounds progressive!

Christopher Smith

Arcadia

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Re “Great Presidents Inspire Us,” Commentary, Dec. 16:

We have a president whose administration, through executive order, wants to work in secrecy, thus limiting the oversight ability of Congress--a violation of our Constitution.

This administration is working to tear down the wall of separation between church and state--another violation of our Constitution. We have constitutional liberties being trampled on under the guise of patriotism.

We have a president who shows by dumping the Antiballistic Missile Treaty that he still wants to be an isolationist rather than a world leader.

And who really doesn’t cringe when our president steps out from behind his TelePrompTer? Are these the makings of a visionary, inspiring president?

Peter Hughes

Los Alamitos

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Now that President Bush has abrogated the ABM treaty, we are faced with China and other countries feeling justified in going ahead with their missile programs to outsmart our defenses--practically a statistical certainty--and with a cost to U.S. taxpayers of hundreds of billions of dollars surely better spent elsewhere.

But there is an alternative. Given its blessing by the president, Congress and the people, it should be the national policy of the U.S. that, in the interest of world peace, we not build a missile defense system; however, if we detect ICBM-launching capabilities in any country, we ask no questions, ask for no permission from the U.N. and give no warning. We just take it out, pure and simple, collateral damage and all.

There is no outsmarting that defense. Everyone would know in advance what our policy was, and they would violate it at their peril. Sure, we would take the diplomatic hit, but it’s a cheap hit by comparison.

Michael Sadler

Studio City

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As an American, I’ve had the events of Sept. 11 used to sell me everything from soup to SUVs. My award for the most cynical, self-serving Sept. 11 sales pitch goes to Bush for his claims that the attacks somehow justify his missile defense plans, a claim so wrongheaded and bizarre that it insults not only the memory of the dead but the intelligence of the living as well.

Ian Black

San Diego