With Friends Like Pakistan ...

Re “Musharraf Has Rumsfeld’s Support in Nuclear Case,” March 29: Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld really believes that over many years, and with millions of dollars worth of nuclear technology transferred to multiple countries, that a single scientist did it all alone, with no knowledge or help from the military or the government. Do you? He says that he has no evidence that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was involved, and that nobody can prove a negative. He has given us many silly statements during the last year, such as “war is not neat” and “bad guys are not nice,” etc.

But these cute sayings are nonsense because the proof of the government of Pakistan’s involvement would be a “positive,” not a negative. It’s the lie that we went to war in Iraq over, that it might share weapons of mass destruction (including nuclear) with other potentially hostile nations. What is this government doing? We failed to send our troops after Osama bin Laden after bombing Afghanistan, letting the Northern Alliance et al search and fail for us. Now we’re hoping Musharraf will do that job for us, while we let our troops die in Iraq. President Bush has already said that countries that aid terrorists are our enemy and will be treated as such. So what’s going on with Pakistan -- and the home of those who perpetrated 9/11?

Charles Hoff

Rancho Palos Verdes

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So Rumsfeld defends his good ally Musharraf. What are a few bombs and black market dealings in nuclear technology? Musharraf supports us today, right? Oops, didn’t Rumsfeld once say the same things about our ally against Iran, Saddam Hussein? In a few years, I imagine, Vice President Rumsfeld will lead President Jeb Bush into a U.S. invasion of Pakistan.

Robert D. Wieting

Simi Valley