Letters

Bound for Baghdad

"Tommy Franks is a leader with the vision, wisdom and courage to guide our armed forces to victory at this watershed moment in history." J. DAVID MOSS Ocala, Fla.

TIME's profile of General Tommy Franks convinced me that he is the right man in the right place at the right time [COVER STORY, March 17]. Unlike Generals Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf, who failed to topple Saddam Hussein during the 1991 Gulf War, Franks will most certainly see the battle to the finish. NELSON MARANS Silver Spring, Md.

I was stunned by the cover story. It gave the impression that rather than going to war, the U.S. was off to the Super Bowl, with Tommy Franks as our grizzled football coach. War is not a spectator sport; it is a gruesome, horrific process. And it might be less likely if the media did not so enthusiastically portray the warriors and their machines. DANIEL L. COX San Francisco

What an excellent report by Michael Duffy and Mark Thompson! General Franks is an outstanding leader of men, especially enlisted soldiers. I know from firsthand experience, having served close to him as General John Tilelli's driver during the Gulf War. Franks always kept our morale high with his great stories and humor. MIKE BALERO San Diego, Calif.

--For some readers, the cover close-up of General Tommy Franks triggered a flashback to an earlier war. "Your cover reminded me of a picture of President Lyndon Johnson planning the Vietnam War," remarked a Minnesotan. "I pray that the likeness is only a coincidence." "History repeating itself?" asked a Wisconsin woman uneasily. "I hope not." A man in North Carolina felt certain in his assessment: "The resemblance is a reminder that invading Iraq and getting involved in nation building may result in another quagmire."

Lonely at the Top

President Bush failed in his final attempt to gain U.N. support for war against Iraq [NATION, March 17]. He alienated those who would have supported him in a more cautious, multilateral approach to disarming Saddam Hussein. There are two kinds of people who walk alone against the tide of majority opinion. One is brave and has enormous integrity. The other is mad and walks into disaster. Bush, I fear, is the latter kind. He has made our nation a pariah. KAREN SILVER New York City

I can't understand why the Americans and the British wanted U.N. approval before doing away with Saddam Hussein. As the sole superpower and its closest ally, they shouldn't have felt the need to get approval to free the citizens of Iraq from Hussein's grip. ELIE SMITH Paris

The diplomatic clock ran out? When did the diplomacy even begin? Threatening that war is about to start and trying to bribe nations into supporting U.S. aggression don't constitute diplomacy. Bullying is the usual name for those tactics. BARBARA BRANHAM Portland, Ore.

War's Awesome Act I

There is no doubt that the ouster of Saddam Hussein can be accomplished only by force [NATION, March 17]. As a former soldier, I am quite certain that the arms concessions recently wrung from Iraq were in response to the presence of the thousands of U.S. and British troops. Saddam is a vile dictator who has brought misery to his people and many others in the states that surround him. I have done legal work on behalf of Iraqi refugees who were appealing refusals of requests for asylum in Britain and know firsthand of the torture, terror and butchery of the Iraqi regime. PAUL FRANCIS HANLEY Cheshire, England

The picture of a group of 3rd Infantry Division soldiers training in the Kuwaiti desert caught my eye, as I served with the 3rd during the Korean War. I am awed by the sophisticated equipment the soldiers now carry. Every American should be proud of these young men and women who have volunteered for battle. ROBERT J. QUIRK Sarasota, Fla.

Humans fail to recognize what effect wars have on fellow beings and the rest of nature. Imagine how your young child would feel if the "mother of all bombs" were dropped on your town. The trauma is not measurable. Hatred and prejudice are planted in the minds of the young and find a course of their own. In arrogance, one can forget that what goes around in one generation comes around in another. We need to think about the future of the Iraqis' sanity and ours. PREETHAM GRANDHI White Plains, N.Y.

War is not the best way to achieve peace and costs many lives and many tears. If we do not find weapons of mass destruction or if U.S. companies are seen to be profiting after the war, we will have sacrificed American credibility. We are gambling that war will secure more peace than it will create enemies. JAMES L. ROWELL Amherst, Mass.

Handle with Care?

Azzam Tamimi, director of London's Institute of Islamic and Political Thought, suggested that America should be careful to capture bin Laden alive [VIEWPOINT, March 17]. Such advice is offensive. Whether he is captured dead or alive is the decision of bin Laden, not the U.S. It was bin Laden, the son of a wealthy father, who chose to murder innocent people. Do not insult his poor followers by suggesting he is one of them. Absolutely not. He is educated. He had opportunities and privileges that most of them will never be offered. He made his own decision. Bin Laden wanted a war, and now he's got it. DOUG ROBERTS Syracuse, Utah

Tamimi failed to mention that a significant segment of the Muslim population would be relieved to see the end of al-Qaeda and its leader. Many are horrified that bin Laden has taken Islam hostage and misrepresented it to advocate violence. As one of those millions of Muslims, I will sleep peacefully once he is killed or captured. Not only did he terrorize my country but he also hijacked my religion of peace. AREEJ ZUFARI Winter Park, Fla.

Keeping the Constitution

I stand up and loudly applaud Lance Morrow for his column reminding Americans and the U.S. government not to trample on our beloved Constitution [ESSAY, March 17]. In the aftermath of 9/11, too many are quick to give up constitutional protections and civil liberties in exchange for security. Let's not forget that there are millions who wish they had these protections and that hundreds of thousands have died to protect them. KEITH E. DENNISON Washington, N.J.

If our Constitution is the most sought-after blueprint for governance around the globe, why do so many people here at home seem threatened by it? If American citizens cannot visit a shopping mall wearing T shirts that read PEACE ON EARTH, what message does that send about our ability to deal with the others who share this planet? It's no wonder we are running low on allies. We appear to have a national rage problem, and this is one we cannot blame on teenagers, skinheads or minorities! LYN STONE Cazenovia, N.Y

Basketball's New World?

So the National Basketball Association has 65 foreign-born players and is hoping to expand overseas [BUSINESS, March 17]. The NBA is still a joke and has been for years. People forget that the National Hockey League has had international players in its system for its entire history. Basketball is the most selfish team sport in our society. Until all the thugs and gangsters leave the NBA or learn to behave like adults and not spoiled children, it will continue to be a joke. The NBA should show its games on the Cartoon Network because the sport cannot be taken seriously. ERIC ONKENHOUT Bellingham, Mass.