In response to Brian Emerson Jones’ own “hugely misguided” opinion about the situation in the Middle East, U.S. involvement in the Iraqi situation was of dire need (“Latest bombings will only enforce stereotype,” SN 2/21). This was not an unprovoked attack. The mission of the no-fly zones is to protect the Kurds and other groups that have previously been attacked by Saddam Hussein.

Why would you ever empathize with a man who has led his country through two pointless wars, and who only uses half of the money received from oil exchanges to actually buy food and medicine? The suffering in Iraq is caused by its government, but the people of Iraq will never know this with the autocracy that exists now. No such freedom of the press exists there. Our planes have had near misses during the past couple weeks, and I would really hate it if one of our boys was killed because we lacked the courage to take responsibility for Hussein’s actions of aggression.

Edward Marshall
human biology and
Russian junior