U.S. needs to deal with N. Korean threat

Re “In Defiance, North Korea Fires Missiles,” July 5

If more proof is needed that President Bush is an ineffective ideologue, the North Korean missile launchings are it. When he took office, Bush openly derided the Clinton administration’s efforts to deal with the issue and has since boasted that we can deal with the problem by mere threat of some sort of retaliatory action. Much has been made of Iran’s desire for a nuclear program, but apparently it’s OK if Kim Jong Il has one.

By any stretch of this administration’s criteria for a preemptive invasion, one would think we would have changed the regime in North Korea by now, but here we are dealing with the same madman, and no closer to a solution. The fact that these missiles are incapable of delivering a nuclear warhead is irrelevant. Yet American voters still believe that Republicans are better at homeland security. Who’s the crazy one here?

BOB LOZA

Burbank

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Will somebody tell the White House the mysterious weapons of mass destruction have been found? The missiles landed in the Sea of Japan, but let’s not wait until they land in Santa Monica Bay before we rattle our swords.

ERWIN SPEAKMAN

Venice