Opposing Perspectives on Mideast Policies

Re “How to Win Friends in the Mideast,” Commentary, March 31: Rami G. Khouri’s commentary offers a refreshing change from the often simplistic and dogmatic views that are peddled by self-described “experts” on the Middle East. Khouri’s observations are reinforced by the Pentagon’s Defense Science Board, which published a report last fall that concluded, “Muslims do not ‘hate our freedom,’ but rather, they hate our policies.” The board pointed to U.S. backing of Israeli practices that are widely viewed as unlawful and repressive, and initiation of the war in Iraq, also considered by most to be illegal, as chief points of contention.

If you want people to respect you and behave according to rules, you need to consistently demonstrate that you also are willing to play by those same rules.

Ken Galal

San Francisco

Re “U.S. Embrace Can Be Fatal to Arabs,” Commentary, March 28: It’s sadly predictable that Nation Editor Adam Shatz would write another cynical leftist response to the recent Bush foreign policy successes. Too smart to deny that the Mideast has moved toward democracy, Shatz insists it’s “in spite of American pressure.” So let’s ask: Is the United States to lead the world, or are we just a nation whose greatest aspiration should be to get along peacefully with the rest? Neoconservatives subscribe to the first assertion, leftists to the second.

Thus, Republicans supported a preemptive strike against Saddam Hussein, who repeatedly threatened the U.S., while Shatz and fellow leftists were upset that other nations didn’t approve. Now they deny that Hussein’s removal has anything to do with the suddenly pragmatic attitude of such dictators as Syria’s Assad and Egypt’s Mubarak. Republicans were proud of Bush’s second inaugural, championing freedom and democracy as human birthrights, and cheered when repressed Arab and other peoples responded, while Shatz derided Bush’s speech and now claims that all these developments would have happened anyway.

Shatz reminds us that people are still dying, but Republicans already know the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. With all of his shameless Israel-bashing, one wonders if Shatz does.

Rueben Gordon

North Hollywood

As you read Shatz’s commentary, you cannot help but think how tragically comic the situation has become with our administration. On and on, all we hear from it and its supporters is how the war in Iraq has done wonders for the region, how the war has been an incredible success, in spite of the thousands of casualties, the billions we have spent and the never-ending insurgency. But does anyone really question such statements?

Iraq is still the mess of all messes, a country in complete ruin, with hundreds of thousands of casualties from a continuing war, with upward of 50% unemployment, no economy, crippled, divided, with no central government, twice the infant mortality that existed before we invaded, no security, infrastructures in tatters and surviving only through the uncountable billions supplied by American taxpayers and a standing foreign army of more than 150,000 and God knows how many thousands more American paid mercenaries.

Yes, where in any of this is the thriving model democracy that any sane Middle Eastern person would ever want to emulate, would ever want to see reproduced in his or her country?

Carl Mattioli

Newtonville, Mass.