Focus of Concern Has Now Turned to Iran

In “The Hawks and the Doves Are Aflutter Over U.S. Iran Policy,” (Commentary, July 23), Danielle Pletka asserts that the “only rational course available to the U.S.” for dealing with Iran excludes military action. Pletka’s assertion is itself irrational. “Diplomatic and economic tools to embarrass the regime for its abysmal human rights abuses” certainly won’t prevent the mullahs from developing -- and using -- nuclear weapons.

Murderous dictators contemplating a nuclear attack won’t budge out of fear of being embarrassed. Counting on the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency to change the mullahs’ minds is also hopeless.

The United States has the moral right -- indeed the moral obligation -- to defend itself against its enemies by any means necessary, including the use of overwhelming force.

David Holcberg

Irvine

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Didn’t we hear the same lines for Iraq, now known to be all lies, garbed as “intelligence failures” now? It’s unbelievable that while still bleeding in Iraq with a black eye from an already weakened country’s insurgency, the hawks’ appetite for blood is still not whetted. Perhaps the problem with Iran will solve itself once a regime change takes place in Washington in November.

Omar Huda

Granada Hills

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Re “Decades of Bad Iran Policy,” editorial, July 25: At first reading, I was convinced that this piece of anti-President Bush propaganda was written by Michael Moore. But then I realized that even Moore was more subtle than this piece.

The Times suffers from selective amnesia. The eight years of Clinton, Albright et al botching up our foreign policies goes unmentioned. In fact, reading this editorial, one would presume that Bush took over from his father without inheriting President Clinton’s interim eight years of failed policies.

To add insult to injury, you enjoy, inaccurately, excoriating President Reagan without mentioning that he inherited the results of the disastrous policies of President Carter.

Paul Markiles

Pacific Palisades

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There was a glaring omission in your analysis of our flawed Iran policy. Why wasn’t the fact that President Carter’s totally inept and bungled policy of ousting the shah and creating the current fanatical regime cited?

Richard M. Meyers

Granada Hills

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The latest truth: Iran supports Al Qaeda because it allows known terrorists to cross its borders. I guess the same logic means the U.S. supports Al Qaeda since we allowed those same terrorists to cross our borders to live here for over a year. Then again, since when does logic come into play when politicians are trying to create a new diversion?

Robert Schmidt

Long Beach