U.S. Strikes Back at Afghanistan

With the beginning of large-scale military operations against Afghanistan on Sunday, terrorists around the globe are probably rejoicing as we take the bait, as we endorse their fundamental premise: Violence is the way to effect change. But they are one step ahead of us, because they understand that each violent act escalates the scale of the next.

Osama bin Laden’s power resulted in large part as a reaction to the devastation we inflicted in the Gulf War. But we don’t make that connection. Someone has to break the cycle, but apparently it won’t be us. When the Bush administrations are long gone, I shudder to think of the rubble to which their wars will have reduced our world. But let our children and grandchildren worry about that one.

Robert N. Treuhaft

La Canada Flintridge

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This is a test. If President Bush is such a consensus builder, then let him do his best to lead this country’s populace to join others throughout the world to build and help maintain world consensus and action against terrorism and the “industries” (drugs, guns and armies for hire) that propagate it. That would be an accomplishment.

Drop food, clothes, medicine and books--not bombs. Send in at the appropriate time doctors, nurses, teachers and engineers--not soldiers. Destroy hate by ministering to real needs that keep countries full of people in thrall to demigods. Validate with positive action and moral leadership the concept and the reality of diverse cultures united in common cause to lift up and support the brotherhood of man in a world made small by the technological revolution.

Perhaps it’s appropriate that Bin Laden lives in a cave. The rest of us don’t have to join him. We have already ventured to reach for the stars. We must not stop now.

Marjorie Creswell Walsleben

Culver City

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So far I must congratulate President Bush. He’s following the script laid out by antiwar activists. Namely, exhaust all political and economic approaches before committing yourself to war. If you must act militarily, use narrowly targeted strikes, not sweeping blitzkriegs. Bush has even called for a Palestinian state. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he has finally shut down the America-firsters in his administration and is listening to the world’s people.

Rob Schmidt

Culver City

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How can President Bush have the audacity to ask “God [to] continue to bless America” when he launched attacks on Afghanistan on Sunday--Christians’ holy day of observance? The message he sent to the world was this: “I don’t give a damn about Christianity either.”

Jonathan Chase

San Ramon, Calif.

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Memo to the Taliban: Study the history of the United States very closely. Note that in August 1945, just prior to the end of World War II, the Japanese were humanely warned several times of our intended actions toward them. Our warnings were not heeded by that country. We won that war. Remember, the U.S. does not lie, the U.S. does not give up, the U.S. does not lose. Be forewarned!

Wallace W. Willis

San Gabriel

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Re “An Eternal War of Mind-Sets,” Opinion, Oct. 7: Neal Gabler suggests that we can “measure this [war] in centuries.” I would propose that the U.S. has much more influence over terrorism than he thinks. The already committed terrorists such as Bin Laden will not change their minds, regardless of our actions. But the vast numbers of disaffected and desperate youths from which they draw both their cover and their recruits are the ones we should be aiming at. Searching for ways to make the world more equitable and reexamining some U.S. policies that may be fanning the flames for these masses--these are our real “weapons” in the quest for a safe and peaceful world for our children and grandchildren.

Kitty Kroger

Los Angeles

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Never have I read such a remarkable commentary in any newspaper. Gabler’s application of the scholarship of Karen Armstrong to the present war between the West and the terrorism of fundamentalist Islam is nothing short of brilliant. Imagine--a war “fought over epistemology”! Yet, Gabler is right on. We have a clash to the end with an alien culture.

Devon Showley

Cypress

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Canceling the Emmys was wrong. President Bush said fear and freedom have always been at war, yet the establishment seems to be on the side of fear. Why else dish out another multimillion-dollar blow to the economy?

David A. Holtzman

West Los Angeles