Letters: Aug. 8, 2005

Rush Hour Terror

Our special report on the terrorist attacks in London and the hunt for the bombers drew mail from readers expressing sympathy and solidarity with the British as well as anger against Muslim radicals. Others debated whether the war in Iraq has contributed to the global climate of jihadist hatred

The London bombings were another useless attempt by the losing side in the war on terrorism to spread fear in the West [July 18]. You would think that after the retaliation for 9/11–which resulted in the overthrow of regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq–the terrorists would have learned their lesson. The mindless acts of random violence against innocent civilians indicate the terrorists’ desperation. Freedom will always prevail.

ALEX CURLEY — Washington

My heart goes out to the bombing victims. I know that brave Londoners will bounce back, as they have so many times before. It is high time the British and U.S. governments go after the root cause of the jihadist problem, namely the fundamentalist mullahs and Islamist preachers who hide behind a façade of being religious men as they sow seeds of hatred and violence among young Muslims. Those preachers are evil and should be treated as terrorists and fully prosecuted. That would rid the Muslim community of some real troublemakers and ultimately help young and mainstream Muslims.

ROB KESHAV — Overland Park, Kans.

I couldn’t stop looking at your cover picture. I didn’t dwell on the disturbing gauze mask the bombing victim was holding to her face, but I was struck by the astonishing compassion of the man helping her. For every stone-cold killer, there is an equal and opposite force for good.

JOSEPHINE BESTIC — Cape Town

What happened in London is yet another attack on the citizens of Western countries that have a military presence in the Middle East. An endless stream of people are willing to commit suicide in violent acts for a cause that has been made absolutely clear to us: forcing us out of the Middle East. We are the worst kind of trespassers in Middle Eastern countries, driven by a hunger for their oil but with no legitimate business there. We continue to deal with unscrupulous royalty while the death toll rises. We must get out of the Middle East.

EMILY ZERMENO — Houston

No Iraq Connection?

In his Viewpoint “Why Iraq Has Made Us Less Safe …” Daniel Benjamin pinned the cause of the London bombings on the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq [July 18]. His thesis, however, doesn’t explain the motives behind the 9/11 attacks or the 2002 Bali bombing. The U.S. hadn’t set foot in Iraq when those acts took place. The alarmists, especially Benjamin, need to recognize that success in Iraq will make us safer in the long run. Democracies don’t export terrorism.

MATT MOTHERWAY — Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Benjamin just doesn’t get it! The terrorists hate the U.S. and the West for everything we represent.

JEFF GUMP — Virginia Beach, Va.

The War’s Effect

In his Viewpoint claiming that the Iraq war has not increased Muslim resentment of the U.S. [July 18], Charles Krauthammer stated that the U.S. will be blamed “whenever there is a terrorist attack anywhere in the world.” It is true enough that the extreme radicals of al-Qaeda will always find some excuse to attack the U.S. and its allies. That does not mean we should give terrorists additional excuses to do so. Rather than fostering democracy, our belligerent invasion of Iraq has destabilized the region and convinced many Muslims that the terrorists’ depiction of us is true.

ADAM MARCZYK — Highland Mills, N.Y.

Krauthammer asked, “What exactly is the U.S. not doing in the war on terrorism that it would be doing if it weren’t in Iraq?” We could have used the money spent on the war to secure our ports, borders and public transportation and to further any number of domestic projects. Instead, billions have gone into destroying and then rebuilding Iraq. The Iraq invasion was a tragic blunder.

VICTOR M. SILVA — Hermosa Beach, Calif.

The Spirit of Survival

I agree wholeheartedly with the praise bestowed upon the British by Andrew Sullivan in his Essay “The Quiet Power of the Stoic” [July 18]. The manner in which the Brits handled the tragedy was noble and inspiring. But the response of Americans, especially New Yorkers, to the events of 9/11 was equally so. While Americans may react less stoically and with more surface passion, New Yorkers rescued others from burning buildings, went back to work on 9/12 and spent two years digging through rubble. No act of terrorism could diminish our American spirit, nor should the world fail to recognize that we too have grace and dignity under pressure.

ANDREA PINES — New York City

Inspiring Tale of a Good Shepherd

Re “How The Shepherd Saved the Seal,” about the rescue of a wounded U.S. Navy SEAL on a commando mission in Afghanistan [July 18]: It’s good to know that an Afghan shepherd in the rugged mountains was free to take the moral high road and provide safety to a U.S. serviceman in his country.

ROGER B. STERN — Detroit

It would be a heartwarming gesture if we extended U.S. citizenship to the Pashtun shepherd and his family for his aid.

BRIAN GAFFNEY — Glendale, N.Y.