Opinion: Actions by U.S. threaten to hurt Security Council

In his column, Charles Krauthammer maintains that if France does not go along with the United States in the U.N. Security Council on the Iraq issue, France will be responsible for rendering the Security Council irrelevant in world affairs. However, the vast majority of the nations agree with France and do not want the United States to initiate an unprovoked attack on Iraq. In fact, only the United States and Great Britain want a clear authorization for such an action; France, Russia and China are opposed.

If the United States ignores the will of the Security Council, as it now appears it will with the new "compromise," the United States, in fact, is the country that has rejected the authority of the Security Council. The United States then becomes the country that effects "the end of the Security Council as a serious institution," not France. Krauthammer's opinion reflects the arrogance of the Bush administration in international relations: "We do what we want, and if world opinion is against us, well, they are irrelevant."

The United Nations may be a flawed institution, but it is the only forum where all nations come together with the opportunity to create peace and stability. World opinion on Iraq centers on the real possibility that such an invasion will create more instability in the Middle East, an opinion backed up by the CIA and voiced by every Islamic country in the Middle East. If an invasion of Iraq does create the instability that most of the world's countries believe it will, and thousands upon thousands perish in violence spawned by the invasion, the U.N. Security Council will not deserve the majority of the blame.
-- Michael C. Milam, St. Petersburg

Target North Korea

Re: U.S. advises allies to disarm North Korea with diplomacy, Oct. 18.

With Iraq, which is only thinking about "special" weapons, we talk of war. With North Korea, which openly admits to seeking to develop them, President Bush talks of diplomacy. Great Zot! With the North Koreans we not only supplied them with knowledge but also the atomic materials. They also have a proven delivery system, having overflown Japan several years ago in a missile test.

If we're going to start a war, let's do it with North Korea. The logistics would be a lot simpler and we have the forces and materials already in place. It's a straight shot for supplies from the West Coast, and we wouldn't have to kow tow to the Arabs to pass through their canal or add an extra 10,000 miles around Africa.

This whole thing couldn't be about the fact that there is no oil in North Korea, could it?
-- Walter Treftz, Hernando

Will that information be of any use?

I have been moved by the recent spate of letters of adulation for Sen. Bob Graham . His obviously politically motivated tirade against the administration's policies of information sharing with the general public is just that -- political.

However, to lend credibility to his concerns for the safety of myself and my family, I have given a great deal of thought to how I would use this information that has been deprived me. I already have been advised, months ago, to be alert to and to report any suspicious activity, as have millions of others who follow the daily -- no, hourly -- updates on the progress of the war on terrorism.

I have considered organizing the neighborhood into a quick-strike militia to stand shoulder to shoulder with our armed forces. I have considered establishing a satellite system to warn me of impending danger. I have considered stocking gas masks, anti-anthrax vaccine, reading books on how to counteract the effects of the thousands of poisonous gases in existence. But in the end, I have assured myself that those professional and knowledgeable people whom we have elected to take care of those things will do just that, in spite of the negative criticism of those who have allowed the current situations to develop during the Clinton/Reno years.

I have concluded that my biggest worry is the loss of sleep that I will suffer when and if I am party to all of this now-withheld information and finding myself at a loss, with millions of other ordinary citizens, as to what exactly to do with it.
-- N. Nickles, Beverly Hills

Keep military action as last choice

The Congress authorized President Bush to use U.S. military forces against the Iraqi regime if and when he decides it is appropriate (Bush gets go-ahead, Oct. 11)

Our Florida senators split on this resolution, Bob Graham voted against it, cautioning that a war with Iraq could provoke disastrous retaliation within the United States and Iraqi use of chemical and biological weapons against our troops and Israel (Graham: Expect retaliation, Oct. 5).

Bill Nelson voted for the resolution. His Web site Oct. 8 reported a tally of calls to his office between Aug. 19 and Oct. 5. The calls showed a total of 1 in favor to 14.5 opposing a U.S. military strike against Iraq.

President Bush would be wise to notice that even those legislators who voted to give him discretionary powers to wage war against Iraq have many constituents who do not support the war. The president rightly says: "The use of the military is my last choice, is my last desire." Hold onto that thought, Mr. President, and work with the U.N. Security Council and our allies to bring pressure on Saddam Hussein to disarm without a devastating war on Iraqi soil and the reprisals toward the United States and Israel likely to result.
-- Ruth Hyde Paine, St. Petersburg

Another mark against Clinton

Re: North Korea admits nuclear plot, Oct. 17.

The Clinton legacy continues its path to ignominy with the North Koreans admitting that they had a nuclear weapons program.

In 1994, Clinton and his State Department headed by Madeleine Albright agreed to provide North Korea with light-water reactors, oil for 10 years and food, if the North Koreans would give up their nuclear weapons program and not reprocess plutonium from their nuclear reactors. He was assisted in this process by Jimmy Carter who was recently given the Nobel Peace Prize. Carter at that time said Kim Il Sung was so intelligent and a nice person.

We have been hearing about these two, Clinton and Carter, being more educated than President Bush, one a Rhodes scholar the other a nuclear submarine expert. These geniuses have blown it, while the person being denigrated, who has an M.B.A. from Harvard, as not having any experience in foreign affairs, whose syntax is wrong, who can't think clearly, had this to say during the State of the Union address:

"Our second goal is to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction. Some of these regimes have been pretty quiet since Sept. 11, but we know their true nature. North Korea is a regime arming with missiles and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens . . . States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world . . ."

I'll take the president who speaks like I do, and like me has the interest of America first.
-- Sal Reale, Seminole

Carter legacy marred, too

Re: North Korean nukes and Jimmy Carter.

Now that North Korea has admitted to having a nuclear weapons program, will Jimmy Carter lose his Nobel Peace Prize?

Will Jimmy Carter change his name to Neville Chamberlain Carter?
-- Al Frick, Tampa

Uneasy with White House belligerence

Re: North Korea admits nuclear plot, Oct. 17.

With North Korea's revelation of a nuclear weapons program, my concern is that our present administration will be on the warpath for yet another country to disarm. Will Kim Jong Il's name be added to the list of wanted leaders, along with the likes of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein?

I have never feared our country's next military move, as I currently do, with the Bush administration. Frankly speaking, I would much prefer a "womanizer" in the White House, than I do a "warmonger." The phrase, "make love, not war," is certainly more soothing to the soul. Peace.
-- JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater

Carter is a deserving winner

The St. Petersburg Times is worth reading just for the comedy content, but I want to make it perfectly clear that I'm dead serious. Take the Oct. 18 Chip Bok cartoon comparing Jimmy Carter to Saddam Hussein and poking fun at the Nobel Peace Prize process. Jimmy Carter's "Habitat for Humanity" efforts alone make him very deserving of that award, not to mention any of his other activities.

I saw him on the news the other day poll-watching in some foreign country while the bullets were flying. The only way Bush should ever be in the race for the Nobel Peace Prize is for its name to be changed to the Nobel Warmonger Prize.

We are living in the most dangerous times of my life (I'm 64), the worst economic times, and the times of the worst confidence in our government. And I'm wondering: Should I write a thank you note to George W. Bush for making it all possible, or just go hide in the root cellar?
-- Harold Teague, Madeira Beach

Take care of the threat

Re: Agencies warn of more U.S. attacks.

When is this country going to wake up? We have the power right now to stop both Iraq and al-Qaida in one fell swoop. It's time to stop being "the nice guy." Do Hiroshima and Nagasaki ring a bell with anyone?

If we continue to wait, Saddam Hussein will get what he needs to build his nuclear weapons, and do you think for one minute he will hesitate to use them on our country? Absolutely not. Where is Harry Truman when you need him?
-- Cheryl Karpinecz, Seminole

His kind of president

It was just a small article in your paper on Oct. 11, yet it told me all I need to know about George W. Bush. It was titled Bush attends doorman's funeral.

It seems with an Iraq war on the table, ongoing economic issues and the campaign season upon us, the busiest, most important man in the world and his wife took time out to pay their respects and attend the funeral of a simple doorman, the White House doorman.

That's the guy I voted for and I'm so proud of it. As for the people who demonize him and criticize everything he does, they can save their breath.
-- Ronnie Dubs, St. Petersburg

Try a recumbent bike

Re: Bicycling-impotence debate begins anew, Oct. 16.

Apropos of your article from the Wall Street Journal, I have a solution. Look into one more of the many brands of "recumbent" bikes. They are marvelous for alleviating that problem, which occurs on a regular upright bike. There are many brands, including a variety of seats. And they're akin to pedaling a lawn chair.
-- Bill Levy, Homosassa

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