The American Spectator

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Preventive Bombing

8.11.06 @ 12:01AM

BLOOD COUNTS
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.'s Preventing the Unthinkable:

I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Tyrrell's call for wider, sterner military action against Iran and Syria, as part of a more effective strategy for fighting the War on Terror. But he succumbs to the West's self-defeating compunction about inflicting casualties on the enemy when he notes, approvingly, that "aerial attacks [against Iran] do not have to be very bloody." If the goal is solely to degrade and delay Iran's nuclear weapons program, this may be true. But the larger war with militant Islam -- see this week's headlines about the foiled air terror plot in Britain -- will never be won until we inflict massive human and material destruction on both the terrorists and the communities and states that support them. This was how we defeated and pacified Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan during World War II. It is the only way to fight and win an existential war. The sooner Americans face up to this fact, the sooner we can do what needs to be done to defend our country, protect our people, and preserve our way of life against the aggressive global designs of militant Islam.
-- Steven M. Warshawsky
New York City, New York

The Islamofascists are playing right into Israel's hands. With failures by the UN and the western nations to negate Iran's nuclear weapon program, the Israelis must do it themselves. There is no doubt that when, not if, the Iranians develop their weapons they would not hesitate to incinerate Israel. The latest attacks by the Hezbollah and their support from Syria and Iran give the Israelis the reason to escalate this current war to destroy Iran's nuclear program or at least delay its completion with any means available including nuclear weapons.
-- Tom Bullock
West Covina, California

Mr. Tyrrell has the right idea, but I fear his plan doesn't go far enough with regard to Iran.

We may be successful in hitting Iranian nuke sites. We may be successful in hitting one or two critical ones. But that does not solve the fundamental problem. The national government of Iran would still be comprised of Mad Mullahs and a "president" whose personal, self-declared mission is to bring about the Muslim version of the end of the world. Right now, this minute, I suggest that Mahmoud A. is the single most dangerous person on the planet. He has a focus on his mission that is beyond dispute, the support of the governmental structure in the execution of the necessary plans, and the resources of a mineral rich country to make it happen.

With such determination and resources, it really wouldn't matter if we took out every single nuke facility. He's still got IRBMs that work. He's still got a navy. He's still got biological and chemical capability. And, how much would Putin charge for a nuke or two? Or the Russian mafia? Or Kim Jung-il? Maybe he's already taken delivery and that's what August 22 is all about.

A state decapitation is required. As long as he lives, he will try to kill us. As long as the Mad Mullahs survive intact, another Mahmoud A. will be found. At some point, when as many of them as possible are together and Mahmoud A. is there, we must demonstrate to them what a nuclear detonation looks like from the inside out. If it means turning Tehran into a sea of green glass, so be it. And we must not leave the current fanatic in residence in Qom around to start recruiting another crew.

Lines are converging. August 22 may be just another day on the calendar. But he will continue to put every effort of every moment into destroying Western civilization. Sooner or later we will have to choose between him and us. I vote: us.
-- John Jarrell
San Antonio, Texas

With respect to Mr. Tyrrell's epistle of the 10th, there seems to be a murky reticence on the part of some to believe that eventually, Iran will have the wherewithal to make good on their leader's murderous imperative to destroy Israel. Likewise, his not very subtle threat to destroy America. Similarly, there is also reticence to "permit" Israel to defend itself: the howling (including that coming from our own State Department) at that beleaguered country to stay its hand short of Hezbollah's throat is impossible to fathom. When will enough be enough? How many bombers, missiles, and threats of annihilation must a nation endure? As a long-ago American put it: If they mean to have a war, let it begin here. Regrettably, the Islamofascists understand and respect one language: the language of irrepressible force.
-- J.C. Eaton
Chetek, Wisconsin

As I write this, the UK has apparently prevented another 9/11. Enough is enough. It's time, Mr. President!
-- Mike Showalter
Austin, Texas
P.S. Thank God Pinch and the boys didn't find out about it in time to reveal it on the front page of the NYT and warn the terrorists.

RHODES SCHOLARS
Re: Ben Stein's A Few More Little Facts:

I must say I was disgusted to read the above-mentioned article, talk about an attempt to demonize the Syrians and Arabs in general. Do Americans seriously believe this nonsense? Unfortunately it does appear that they believe most things they read; here in Europe we are still laughing over the recent report that 50 percent of Americans still believe Iraq had WMD. You refer to the few Israeli losses as a major incident for Israel, but the Lebanese deaths of 1,000 in percentage terms is the same as 6.75 million Americans being killed, over a quarter of the Lebanese population have been displaced.

Incidentally your own State Dept. report on Israel confirms that Arab prisoners in Israeli jails, nothing more than concentration camps, are subject to daily torture, are without legal representation and remain in jail without even a trial.

This was a totally unproved, unnecessary, pre-planned and vicious attack on a democratic country by Israel. If you took the time to do some research you would find out that Israeli violations of Lebanese territory was a daily event, according the UN , by Israeli planes, helicopters and drones while Lebanese violations were in the main caused by Lebanese shepherds.
-- Mr. Michael Lee
Oxford, England

Ben Stein's article on Arabs is most disgusting and nothing more than an attempt at covering the carnages Israelis have continuously been perpetrating against Lebanese and Palestinians. How your newspaper can permit this is something that escapes my understanding, unless your views are similar to those expressed by Ben Stein. I am a citizen of the European Union.
-- Jose

Letter to the Editor

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