Nuclear Posturing Will Lead to Terrorist Attacks

Now that President Bush and his desperately macho war administration have played directly into the terrorists’ asymmetrical warfare strategy by changing nuclear doctrine from “last resort” to retaliation for smallpox, I am truly terrorized by what our “leadership” is leading us into. Clearly they, and all the alleged pundits who claim this nuclear posturing is a deterrent, have learned absolutely nothing from 9/11. This strategy is the complete opposite of a deterrent. Now the terror groups have a spectacular incentive to attack and keep attacking until they goad Bush into a nuclear strike. The subsequent fallout, retaliation and ostracization will bring about exactly what the terrorists want. We go nuclear, they win.

Gary Rosenblum

Palm Desert

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Six months after 9/11, the U.S. has become the world’s biggest terrorist, with its Afghanistan operation and planning for nuclear war. If Bush carries out his shortsighted policies, we will soon be engaged in a military action that will make the Vietnam War look like child’s play.

Stop this madness now and put our billions of dollars to feeding the hungry, ending poverty, reducing dependency on oil and protecting the environment.

Rodney Davis

La Verne

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Re “A Pretty Poor Posture for a Superpower,” Commentary, March 13: It is long past the time that Americans need any advice from Robert S. McNamara, a principal player in the disastrous Vietnam War, which killed over 50,000 young Americans.

J. Douglas Hopkins

Upland