Letters

Into the Fray

"Your cover picture of the young commando made me, a World War II veteran, feel very old but very proud and very safe." JOHN H. GARNER Anthony, Fla.

The photograph of the soldier holding a gun was an example of a true American hero [THE WAR, Oct. 29]. The commitment and courage of the men and women who risk their lives to defend the U.S. in combat are a guarantee that our country will remain strong and free. JEANNE JONES JINDRA Gallipolis, Ohio

The leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan and religious fanatics throughout the world need to understand one thing: this war is not the same as Vietnam. Americans' compassion exists side by side with our determination to see this war through to the only possible conclusion: the total defeat of those who seek our destruction. We will not give up, we will not retreat, and we will not be destroyed. ROSALIE CANNONE MCGILL Florham Park, N.J.

I find it difficult to accept the denunciations of the U.S. military action in Afghanistan. It is very easy to condemn the U.S. for killing and maiming civilians during the bombing, but what about the 5,000 who were killed on Sept. 11? Surely the Muslim world realizes that the U.S. will not take the attacks lying down. CHRIS COWLING Humansdorp, South Africa

I was interested in your in-depth coverage of the war. However, I thought it was irresponsible and insensitive of you to portray our troops as "jittery" when they returned to Pakistan after a military mission. Of course they are jittery and scared; I think the American public is well aware of the human response to crisis. But these troops are American heroes. In the future, please just stick to the facts of what our troops are doing. KELLYANNE LITTON Bend, Ore.

Nothing in Moderation

Forget about including "moderate" Taliban members in a new government in Afghanistan [THE WAR, Oct. 29]. As you noted, to many of us the phrase moderate Taliban is oxymoronic. Why put the fox in the hen house? MAGGIE MCHUGH Alexandria, Va.

A Tide of Anxiety

In her article "Homeland Insecurity," Nancy Gibbs implied that the members of the House of Representatives may have evacuated in too much haste after anthrax was found in the mail area of the House side of the Capitol [TERRORISM, Oct. 29]. My fiance writes letters for a Congressman. The evacuation of the House side was an issue not of the bravery of members of Congress but of the safety of everyone. If the occupants of the World Trade Center had been warned of the attacks, would we have blamed them for evacuating the building beforehand? There is reason to believe that the letter sent to Senator Tom Daschle was a warning and an excellent reason to search the entire Capitol compound. The people who work there serve Senators and Representatives. They are not there to give their lives. KATHRYN HENNINGFELD Arlington, Va.

It was a sad spectacle to see members of the House of Representatives running for cover at the first hint of a problem in their own backyard. Their actions were deplorable, and they not only let down those who look to them for leadership; they also gave a victory to our enemies. Shame on them all. BONNIE SCHWEID Omaha, Neb.

The Economic Weapon

Many of the al-Qaeda terrorists come from countries that get billions in Western aid money and whose economies are sustained by Western dependence on oil and gas [TERRORISM, Oct. 29]. Still the terrorists blame Americans because we are prosperous while they are not. They take no responsibility for building their own successful societies; they just want to destroy ours. Fundamentalist societies breed fanatics because we give them the means. It is time for the West to develop viable, sustainable alternatives to oil and gas. HELEN STUTCHBURY San Diego

Americans are being asked to ante up and contribute to victim-relief funds and to go shopping as part of our patriotic duty to keep the economy moving. Yet corporate America is laying off workers by the thousands, and companies are falling all over one another asking that taxpayers bail them out. But corporations aren't offering to donate anthrax medicine to the American people or to keep their workers employed as part of their patriotic duty. We Americans are the dumbest people in the world if we don't demand some solidarity and contribution from the business community in this time of national crisis. MEG CORWIN Timnath, Colo.

First in Line

Re "Smallpox Vaccines For Everyone" [TERRORISM, Oct. 29], I have a thought (a selfish one, since I am a nurse): perhaps we should inoculate the health-care workers first, since we will be treating critically ill patients, should the unthinkable occur. And we know it can. ANNA GOYETTE New York City

Promoting Peace

There is a kind of shallow patriotism going around, beating the drums of war and attacking all those who dare question U.S. military operations [THE WAR, Oct. 29]. But there is a deeper kind of patriotism. Perhaps compassion and humanitarian aid are the most effective tools we have in combatting terrorism. If retaliation and violence were truly effective tools, Israelis would be the most secure people in the world. What are we doing to promote peace and understanding with the Muslim world? What are we doing to reduce the hatred directed at us by all those nonterrorist Muslims who admire Osama bin Laden? JIM ANDERSON Snohomish, Wash.

The U.S. lost its moral high ground the moment we started terrorizing and killing innocent civilians in our bombing raids. Let's honor the victims of this war by returning to peace and not following the terrorists' path of more senseless death and destruction. JAMILA LARSON Washington

The Burdens of Power

Why has America generated such dislike in parts of the world [THE WAR, Oct. 29]? The simple answer is that hatred comes with the territory of being a superpower. America will be blamed for all the world's woes and faults, regardless of the circumstances. That is the burden of world power. In my youth, when Britain was forever being censured by people around the globe, I came to understand the futility of trying to refute the accusations. America will never be able to answer these mostly groundless charges. Even the Marshall Plan was portrayed as economic imperialism in many so-called seats of learning in Britain. The very success of America arouses suspicion. Most countries see prosperity as the result of patronage or corruption. America will have to realize that even providing aid will generate envy. KEN BOOTH Littleborough, England

The U.S. would get a lot more understanding, empathy and support if it had chosen to be helpful and humanitarian to the people of Afghanistan over the past few years. The country needed assistance to be free of the misery, famine and destruction imposed on it for ages by its neighbors and by civil unrest. Now, under the guidance of the inexperienced President Bush, one cannot look for anything sane or merciful. I don't expect this fiasco to be over soon. EVERTON M. SANTOS Brasilia

Given the fact that the refugee situation, particularly in already strained Pakistan, is going to get even worse, Western leaders must be prepared to make a greater commitment to humanitarian-relief efforts. This must involve accepting Afghan refugees into the U.S. and Britain. It also means that the bombing must stop long enough to allow humanitarian-aid agencies to deliver much needed relief to accessible areas sheltering Afghan civilians. FEDERICO MOSCOGIURI London

Is Common Sense Dead?

I am not a terrorist, but if I were, I'd thank you for giving me so many hints on how to make attempts at mass destruction more effective [TERRORISM, Oct. 29]. In a single short article--"Can a Nuke Really Fit into a Suitcase?"--you gave information on the availability of a suitcase nuke, what type of plutonium and uranium one would need to make one, and, totally unbelievable, which area of a nuclear power reactor should be attacked to incur the highest number of casualties. And you are not the only one. All over the press and the Internet, people are publishing all the material they can get their hands on, just to be first. Don't you know that there are people out there putting together the small pieces of information you so naively give away? Didn't Sept. 11 open your eyes to what can be done with such facts? You should have some common sense. DAN SOLOMON Montreal

Sabin's Blessing

Reading about the threat of smallpox [TERRORISM, Oct. 29], I was reminded of the risk of polio in the 1950s and '60s. Surely one of the greatest humanitarian efforts of the U.S. government was providing, free of charge, the little sugar cube that contained the Sabin oral immunization for polio. I remember going with my family to the local school auditorium and waiting our turn. My daughter was not even a toddler then, but old enough to enjoy that lump of sugar. What a blessing it was! Now we are confronted with a danger greater than polio, frightening because we don't even know what form it may come in. The government should launch an all-out campaign to develop vaccines for the diseases terrorists might inflict on us and give everyone a chance to receive the vaccine. The cost would be minuscule compared with the misery and money involved in treating and containing the diseases if they strike. So far, most of us have been lucky, but how long will our luck hold? BETTY E. WHITEHEAD Melbourne, Fla.

Giving Up Some Freedoms

As I read the responses from your readers [LETTERS, Oct. 29] and saw people complaining about losing their civil liberties and freedom, I wondered when freedom became more important than saving lives. I would gladly have given up some of my precious freedom if it could have saved the lives of those thousands of people murdered on Sept. 11. If our thoughts are concentrated on what freedoms we might have to give up to stop terrorism, then I think we have truly lost sight of the most valuable thing: life itself. MONICA GRAYBILL Port Royal, Pa.

Keeping Out the Bad Guys

Your report on the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service was a good outline of the state of affairs there [FEDERAL AGENCIES, Oct. 29]. But when it comes to scrutinizing foreigners, the Israelis have it right. To get on an El Al plane, you are questioned in depth about where you have been in Israel, and they require names, addresses and dates--and that's to get out! Getting in is even tougher. Despite the high degree of security, Israel is still subject to terrorism. The Sept. 11 terrorists accurately diagnosed the U.S.'s weaknesses in both airport security and immigration laws. They found the loopholes, which we must now work to close. Above all, we need an ID card that is backed by a secure database that will protect everyone's identity and trip up the evildoers in our country. BYRON SLATER San Diego

To Heal the Wounds

Re your article on the lessons to be learned from the Oklahoma City bombing [LETTER FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, Oct. 29]: the experience of losing a loved one unexpectedly and coping with the permanency of that loss is almost more than a person can bear. I became a widow last December when my husband committed suicide, and it is heartbreaking, but I know what the coming months hold for the survivors and grieving family members after the Sept. 11 tragedies. Still, it is important for them to know that although it does not seem likely now, time really does heal the wounds. Saying it will get better sounds trite. But your painful loss will become more bearable, and the pain will slowly be replaced with the fond memories you have of the loved one who has died. Take one day at a time. Please seek help if you need it. With the love and support of family and friends, you can get through this. SUSAN A. HIEF Philomath, Ore.

Sisters Are Soldiers Too

In your story about Halloween costumes with patriotic themes [THE HOME FRONT, Oct. 29], you referred to a company that was making "fire-fighter and soldier costumes for boys and USA Teen Cheerleader outfits for their sisters." Admittedly, women represent a smaller percentage than men of U.S. fire fighters and military personnel, but there are women in both professions, and they are much better role models for young girls than USA Teen Cheerleaders. And there are patriotic roles available for girls: Lady Liberty, Betsy Ross or emergency medical technicians. JESSICA M. MOORE Kingston Springs, Tenn.

Affirmation of LIfe

Your story "the feel-good remedy" about how Broadway shows have bounced back since Sept. 11 noted that "even such gloomy dramas" as August Strindberg's Dance of Death are doing strong business [THEATER, Oct. 29]. To judge from the laughter and applause filling the Broadhurst Theater the other night when I was there, Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren have transformed the play into a dance of life. No wonder it's resonating with audiences just now. ALEXIS XENAKIS Sioux Falls, S.D.