The American Spectator

p> ROOT OF THE PROBLEM br> Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s Cool Under Pressure : /p>

Mr. Tyrrell’s article “Cool Under Pressure” rightly compliments the Bush administration for holding firm alongside Israel in its legitimate fight against Hezbollah. Yet both the Israelis and the Bush administration fail to see that this noble effort, like the effort of the U.S. in Iraq, like the efforts of the international community in Afghanistan, will all fail unless we see and address the root problem in the Middle East.

As long as the terrorist tyrannies in Syria and Iran are free to support the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hezbollah in Lebanon, not to mention Hamas in the Palestinian territories, there will be continual war in this region. Further, as long as Syria on the west and Iran on the east, are allowed to resupply the insurgencies in Iraq, the U.S. will eventually fail in that country. Even the situation in Afghanistan is now deteriorating, thanks to increasing efforts by Iran in helping various insurgent groups, including the Taliban.

p>I wonder how long the West, and especially the U.S., will continue to tolerate this outrage. Until Iran is a nuclear power? That would be the summit of foolishness. br> — R. L. Markley br> St. Martin du Mont, France /p> p> CONSERVATIVES AND IRAQ