Web Letters: Keeping Enemies Close--and Saudis Closer

Aside from an element of hysteria, it wasn't a bad article. The comments were good too. I was particularly impressed by the second commentary which included every problem America faces in a couple of paragraphs. I have attempted such a feat, but lack the writing ability.

Since Al Qaeda is bent on its destruction, I do not think the Saudi government is supporting them in Iraq. They may be supporting the Sunni insurgents who are now attempting to destroy Al Qaeda in Iraq, but American forces are also supporting the same insurgents in this activity. However, after Al Qaeda is eliminated, these same insurgents will turn on us if we are still in Iraq.

I do believe this arms deal is a waste of money. Some of the proposed systems are gleams in the eyes of the Bush Administration and various defense contractors, and will probably be as useless as the upgraded missile defense systems they are selling. If either the Israelis or the Saudis buy this junk, they better look it over carefully. The Israelis turned down an opportunity to buy these upgrades and are trying to build their own system. At least they are wasting their money in their own country.

Since Lockheed-Martin has an intelligence contract with the CIA, I think we will see big bad Iran and North Korea hyped as major threats. However, If Iran wants to get off the hit list, they might want to express some desire for American arms. Lockheed-Martin can always use "American" intelligence to improve their image.

Pervis J. Casey

Riverside, CA

Your article is right on target. The insanity of sending even more weapons to this destabilized area must stop. There should be a complete moratorium--by all civilized countries interested in peace, freedom and democracy--on sending any and all arms and weaponry to the Middle East, including Israel.

Phillip J. Baker

Kensington, MD

What does proposed military aid of several dozen billion dollars to Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia mean? The White House and our leading newspapers will inform you that it is a proper way to contain Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East and to fight the terrorists, but by now we already know that we should trust neither the Bush Administration's judgment nor our mainstream media’s ability to make proper conclusions. This aid actually means that we are going to continue supporting one occupational force and two dictatorial regimes, which is a catastrophic move for our long-term prospects in the Middle East.

There is a gigantic difference between supporting Israel in its 1967 borders and supporting a state that keeps occupational forces in the foreign countries for decades. The support for any occupation brings instantly a fierce opposition from the occupied population and from the other countries who have a common religion, history and culture with the victims, which in this case means the Arab countries and the Muslim world. The support for the dictatorial regimes of Mr. Mubarak and the Saudi King puts us instantly on the collision course with freedom, liberty and democracy. It leads us permanently into conflict with the Arab Street, which is an enormous source for the recruiting efforts of many terrorist organizations.

Our military can kill many terrorists but until the root cause that motivates the people to die fighting our troops is addressed, all the efforts of our military are futile in its nature. The motivational background that pushes an average Arab male or female to die in an attempt to kill our troops deployed in Iraq can only be addressed by the White House and the Congress, and both of them have repeatedly failed to perform their duties.

It is a sure bet that the White House and Congress will stay on the current course--budget and trade deficits, export of American jobs overseas, falling wages and a crippled living standard in part due to illegal immigration, a weakening dollar, ever-growing foreclosures, dropping housing prices, skyrocketing cost of healthcare and drugs, soon-to-be bankrupt Social Security funds, evaporating Medicaid and Medicare services, an overstretched all-volunteer military exhausted by never-ending rotations and Iraq deployments and constant spreading of conflict to the new countries (it started with Afghanistan, then Iraq was added, Pakistan and Iran are new crisis points, Palestine and Syria on eternal back burner ready to explode). This will eventually result in something unthinkable.

Kenan Porobic

Charlotte, NC