Letters

TERRAIN OF TERROR

"Ground troops are not the answer. There is no way in hell to save this ill-conceived operation except to withdraw in shame now." ULRICH H. RUDOFSKY Delmar, N.Y.

The murderous actions of the Serb nationalists in Kosovo pose a threat to all Europe [KOSOVO CRISIS, April 12]. If we do not act, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania will be the next targets, leaving Europe with the same radical nationalism but on a larger scale. It is imperative that we neutralize Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and his nationalist henchmen as quickly as possible. Again and again, we have witnessed the pattern of Milosevic's talking peace while readying forces for another assault against innocents. Attempts to negotiate only help the cause of Serb nationalism. WALTER G. AIELLO Durham, N.C.

I can't believe anyone is crazy enough to advocate the use of NATO ground troops to push the Serb military out of Kosovo. This sort of thinking demonstrates that we haven't learned a thing from Vietnam, Somalia and a hundred other similar situations. Superior firepower has created an illusion in the American mind that warfare can be swift, efficient and relatively bloodless. Fighting the Serbs on the terrain of Kosovo will be bloody, ugly and long lasting. If the politicians are so gung-ho to sacrifice our sons and daughters, let them be the first ones on the battlefield. GREG SAMSON Clinton Township, Mich.

Using ground troops isn't the answer. It isn't even the question. NATO's problem is not which means to use, it is a confusion of purpose. There will be no durable solution in Kosovo or elsewhere in the Balkans while Serbia's regional self-assertion persists undiminished. Asked how he would prevent a resurgent Germany from seeking once again to dominate Europe, Charles de Gaulle answered simply, "By war." The conclusion applies equally well to Serbia. RICHARD HART SINNREICH Lawton, Okla.

Milosevic thinks a big Serbian nation containing only Serbs will make the people stronger, but it will only make them weaker. The way for a nation's people to keep strong and vibrant is to live and interact with different human beings. BOB ELKJER San Rafael, Calif.

In personal confrontations, turning the other cheek can sometimes, although rarely, defuse violence. But not in war. Without Charles Martel's victory over the Muslims at Poitiers in 732, Western civilization might never have existed. Without Charlemagne's tireless campaigning, we would never have thought of a united Europe. War will stop only when a continual state of nationalistic flux ends. Peace will not be brought by a return to religion, for it has been at the heart of more wars than secular causes. JAMES SCOFIELD Olympia, Wash.

As a Holocaust survivor, I certainly understand the real meaning of "ethnic cleansing." I know from personal experience what it is to be a refugee and how it feels when bombs fall. I am convinced that the NATO war against Serbia is terribly wrong. It is a mistake to take sides in a civil conflict that we do not understand. It is wrong to attack a sovereign country that does not threaten us. It is wrong to impose moral values on others while we have none. It is wrong to take actions that make the situation worse. MIKLOS N. SZILAGYI Tucson, Ariz.

The Serbs have slaughtered hundreds and burned villages. Russia's Yevgeni Primakov and Milosevic have hugged and laughed, and President Clinton has played golf. What a sick situation! If ground troops become involved, it will be even sicker. VINCENT CORBETT Morrison, Colo.

NATO's weapons may work in a war fought on political beliefs, but not in one that is based on differences of culture, ethnicity and, above all, religion. A conflict that goes back to the 1300s cannot be solved by bombing the warring parties. The solution can only come from within the Balkans and its people. ADRIAN CHEW Bruce, Australia

If only NATO had acted earlier. in 1998 common sense, international law, regional stability and humanitarian considerations dictated that Albania's border with Kosovo be sealed to stem the flow of weapons to the Kosovo Liberation Army. Kosovo would have been spared much of the ensuing violence, and the K.L.A. would have realized that an enhanced autonomy--already conceded in principle by Belgrade--was the most it could hope to achieve. MIKE FINCH Teddington, England

The K.L.A. called for the complete separation of the province of Kosovo from Serbia on the grounds that most people living there were of Albanian ethnicity and had lost whatever autonomy they once had. This came directly into conflict with the Serb-nationalist idea that Kosovo is "the cradle of Serbian civilization." It is not clear how much support the K.L.A. had (or has) among Kosovo Albanians generally, but it is certain that its attitude played right into the hands of the more lunatic Serb nationalists, who want to get rid of the Kosovars. STEVE J. BROOK Melbourne, Australia

In the Philippines, virtually the same scenario as in Kosovo has occurred to the Filipino Muslims in Mindanao. The Muslims want their independence from the Philippine government to build their own state. This has been the cause of discord here. Peace cannot be achieved through war. Mindanao should remain part of the Philippines, just as Kosovo should stay within Yugoslavia. JOSE FREDERICK P. FLORESE Makati City, the Philippines

ATTACKING THE SERBS

The U.S. is one of the few nations that have been almost immune from a mainland attack by a foreign nation. And it seems to have no problem dropping bombs on Belgrade. I wonder how it would feel if Russia or China were to bomb downtown Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City or Washington. SUDESH J. EBENEZER Winnipeg, Man.

Congratulations to NATO for standing up to a ruthless and evil dictator. Milosevic can be compared with Cambodia's Pol Pot. The Serbs have demonstrated yet again that they are capable only of fighting unarmed civilians. Failure to destroy the Serb war machine will surely destabilize the entire region, the consequences of which may be catastrophic. MICHAEL ALLEN Sutton in Ashfield, England

Without a doubt, Milosevic should be held responsible in a court of law for his actions. If there is any justice, Clinton and his bomb-crazy pals will also be held to account. MARIA GREIFENEDER Marchtrenk, Austria

The Serbian brand of malignant nationalism should not be tolerated. Clinton is right to identify it as a danger and move against it. I only wish he and NATO had acted more swiftly. JANE CHRIST Basel, Switzerland JOHN MCCAIN'S KOSOVO POLICY

We should pay heed to Senator John McCain's strategy: bringing the full weight of American air power to bear and making preparations to use ground forces in Kosovo [VIEWPOINT, April 12]. National debate should no longer focus on whether the U.S. has an interest in the Balkans; this decision was made years ago. Rather, the U.S. should address Slobodan Milosevic with resolve, not only to protect the Kosovars but also to retain credibility. Senator McCain is correct to assert that a failure to act decisively undermines U.S. credibility and opens the door to aggressive regimes. JOHN GAVENONIS Berkeley, Calif.

As a veteran of the Vietnam quagmire, McCain should know his subject. He is perhaps the only man in Washington who has spoken on the issue of Kosovo and the bombing with any semblance of authority and reason. ANDREW J. FAIR Austin, Texas

THE MORAL DEBTS OF HISTORY

Roger Rosenblatt is right: there can be no justice, including financial payments, to compensate for the Holocaust [ESSAY, April 12]. But how can one live with the hopeless assertion that here "injustice prevails"? If we confine the forces of good and evil to this world alone, evil will always win. SUSAN P. KEMPLE Southern Pines, N.C.

Some moral debts to history should not be canceled. Material amends may be part of symbolic amends, but the goal of the "tally" should not be to reach zero indebtedness but to affirm it. HOWARD F. STEIN Oklahoma City

We may never again experience a horrible event such as the Nazi Holocaust, but there have been many events in history that were truly horrible, and we should learn from them. Now is the time to focus, not on what has happened, but on what is happening and how we can implement change. JOHN O'BRIEN Toms River, N.J.

SCARRED FOR LIFE

As a 37-year-old survivor of advanced breast cancer, I find it difficult to muster any sympathy for Joanne Motichka [MEDICINE, April 12]. First she chooses to have a mastectomy, then she gets rich from the pictures of her scarred chest, and finally she sues the physician who probably saved her life. What would she have done if he had given her a lumpectomy and then she had suffered a recurrence? Losing my breast was a sad experience, but I have learned that my breast was not the focus of my femininity and sexual appeal. I am now a precious woman for having courageously battled cancer. CYNTHIA S. RIEDEL Richfield, Minn.

I was stunned to read that Motichka sued her surgeon. The surgeon's recommendation was based on his interpretation of the research and information at the time of her diagnosis. But the ultimate decision was hers. This case did not belong in a courtroom. Whom will she sue if (God forbid) she ever has a recurrence of cancer? LISA E. CAPLAN North Miami Beach, Fla.

The next medical breakthrough that I wish for is a greed detector. It would enable dedicated doctors to treat only patients who appreciate them. The greedy can be referred to their lawyers for delicate surgery. DAVID A. BEYERS Nassau Bay, Texas

FOR THIN MODELS ONLY

The "next wave" in fashion so vividly displayed in your report on young designers [FASHION, April 12] won't find me waving back. As long as fashion designers make bizarre, impractical clothes for 5-ft. 10-in. anorexic models and ignore a 5-ft. housewife who is nowhere near a size 10, I won't buy. ELIZABETH FIFIELSKI San Marcos, Calif.