Dangerous Intervention

Re “U.S. Troops to Fight in Philippines,” Feb. 21: With the Pentagon’s decision to send at least 3,000 troops to fight Muslim extremists in my home country, the Bush administration has dropped all its pretensions that it is fighting Abu Sayyaf, a group of bandits known for its kidnapping activities. Like its tacit support of Israel in the age-old Middle East conflict against the Palestinians, the U.S. is in danger of waging another proxy war in a foreign country where a religious conflict between Muslims and Christians has been waged for centuries.

This recent escalation of U.S. involvement will only add flame to the fire of rhetoric that is being spewed in the Islamic world: that America is out to destroy Islam in all parts of the globe.

Dan Petilla

West Hills