The Value of a Military Response

I am a lifelong student of history, and I cannot reconcile many of the things you allude to with the truth. The value of a military response in this situation is plain. The mission is one of deterrence.

The US policy of response to attacks has been diluted somewhat in recent years. True, bombs have been dropped, and cruise missiles have been fired, but these are not attacks (in a purely military sense) – they are "retaliatory strikes." A military attack would consist of ground troops, aircraft, and weapons working together in a concerted, weighted blow to overcome our enemies. This is the only acceptable response to the events of September 11.

For years, we have lived under the threat of destruction from Soviet (now Russian) nuclear weapons. Deterrence, it was called. This attack we must launch now will be the deterrence for the terrorist forces of the world. The response of the US to these types of attacks before 9/11/2001 was so halfhearted, so weak, that terrorists have been imbued with confidence that they may attack this country with impunity. A strong, forceful response, ending with the elimination of the terrorists who committed this act (and their sponsors) will signal that the American people will not tolerate acts of terror.

I hope you will publish this letter as a dissenting opinion to your own, so your readers might see that not all of us pushing for a military response are a "lynch mob." We are upstanding American citizens who feel as strongly about our side of this issue as you feel about yours. One last thought – as a law enforcement officer, my prayers today are with the brave rescue workers in New York, and with their families. These men have all done their duty running into hell on Earth while everyone else ran the other way. Please remember them and their families in your prayers as well.

~ Ron Whitaker

The "Backtalk" editor replies:

Bombs have been dropped, but they have not been "retaliatory strikes" – unless you mean, for instance, that the U.S. Government was retaliating against Yugoslavia for rejecting an ultimatum regarding that country's internal affairs.

You want a U.S. attack consisting of "ground troops, aircraft, and weapons working together in a concerted, weighted blow" but don't say where you want to attack. Most of these terrorists lived in the United States, and some were trained on US Government property. They were originally from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and UAE – all US allies. The government claims that the attackers were part of an organization with cells in 60 countries.

You assume that the terrorists attacked because they were confident that the US would not respond with overwhelming force. It's more likely, however, considering the hijackers' reported goals and opinions, that they were expecting, and hoping for, an overreaction.

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Little Black Book

I've printed out some of your articles to give my kids so they see what's really going on. By the way, only by doing an Internet search did I find Justin's article from February 17th, right after the Bush's bombing of Iraq. I think you ought to highlight it on your website since the article predicted everything that has happened.

What I really hoped to find was a single article which details all of the US "crimes against humanity" committed in the recent past, especially against the Arab world. So many articles start with "We all know about the various atrocities and murders of civilians committed by the US military." I think you need to assume that the vast majority of people are totally ignorant; we don't all know about it. You need to start from square one with a simple chronological listing of civilians bombed with approximate casualties, etc. Sort of like a "Little Black Book" of post-Vietnam American militarism, possibly with an appendix referring to US attacks on civilians in earlier wars dating back to the US adoption of "total war" policies in the Civil War.

This is the background that people need to be aware of. I'm sure that all the information is available already on your web site, it's just a matter of collecting it together in one spot and highlighting it on your front page.

~ John Galvin

The "Backtalk" editor replies:

It does seem that Americans are unaware of our constant state of war – sanctions, bombings, "interventions," enforcement of "no-fly" zones, arming foreign powers, military bases in dozens of countries, etc. Perhaps this lack of awareness explains why US secret police knowingly allowed terrorists to train in the United States, and why US airlines didn't bother to install real doors in airplanes (like the Israelis do). A "Black Book" might help. Anyone who wants to work on, or fund, this project should contact us.

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Pathetic Child

[Regarding the letter of September 18, "Mistake":]

...This pathetic child who believes he's made a mistake by enlisting in the Marines – at least if he becomes a Marine he will have training to fight these dirt bags and yes he might die in the process of fighting them. He could, of course, avoid his duty and end up dead in this country anyway. At least his first choice he would die with respect and honor. That's something he should do for his "family's sake."

~ Drew Howe, Frederick, Maryland United States of America, God Bless

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Letter From Sydney

This is just a very quick email to thank you for your excellent work, covering what is happening in the wake of the WTC/Pentagon attacks. I am a reporter, filing to CNN and NPR from Sydney, Australia, and really appreciate your website.

~ Trent O.