Israel Has a Vested Interest in U.S. Threats Against Syria

Having done Israel a favor by sacking Baghdad, it’s not surprising that Likudniks like Yossi Klein Halevi now want us to tackle Syria (“Next, Turn the Screws on Syria,” Commentary, April 15). Halevi points the finger at Syria for its occupation of Lebanon, its stockpiling of nonconventional weapons and its support of so-called terrorist groups. Never mind that Israel holds the world record for its occupation of Arab territory, has far greater stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction and was responsible for the massacre of hundreds of Palestinian civilians by the terrorists it armed and supported throughout its invasion of Lebanon.

Given that Syria joined the other 22 members of the Arab League last year in offering peace to Israel in exchange for the establishment of a Palestinian state and a return to 1967 boundaries, it makes more sense to turn the screws on Israel, instead.

However, by “focusing the struggle on Damascus” as Halevi suggests, Tel Aviv will be able to forestall implementation of the “road map” while it finishes colonizing what remains of the Palestinian West Bank.

Fred Voste

San Francisco

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Halevi writes that the Bush administration “cannot stop with its victory in Iraq” and therefore “is correcting a serious flaw in its war against terrorism” by taking “the inevitable next step” and focusing on Syria, President Bashar Assad and Hezbollah. With jingoist friends like Halevi rooting from the sidelines -- “Let’s you and him fight” -- Rumsfeld and associates could rule the world!

June Maguire

Mission Viejo

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Re “Ease Up on Syria Threats,” editorial, April 15: Now is the time to put the heat on Syria’s Assad. Sidle up our troops near his border; send nobody home yet. Only while he is looking down the barrels of our guns is there any chance of him seeing things our way. Now is our chance, after our stunning sweep of Iraq, to damage terrorists further by clipping his wings and doing some blunt talking to the Palestinian Authority and the government of Israel. Let them know that we are tired of being dragged into that festering sore. We should persuade them to accept what they cannot accept politically on their own. They may be glad of the excuse.

Frank. W. Bunkell

Glendale

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Suddenly Syria is an even bigger threat to the U.S. than Iraq ever was, huh? Let’s just be honest about it and fly the Israeli flag over the White House.

Joshua Saint

Huntington Beach

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So the next “rogue nation” to appear in the cross hairs of the Bush administration is Syria (April 15), suddenly so formidable an opponent it’s had an “accountability” resolution named after it. The Syrians have been warned to “seriously ponder” their role in “harboring fleeing members” of the Saddam Hussein regime, and we must hope, for the sake of peace, that Syria will quickly hand over the king of hearts, the jack of diamonds and the eight of clubs to the proper authorities.

Michael Duffy

Simi Valley

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Before we blow up Syria looking for weapons of mass destruction, shouldn’t we find the ones in Iraq first?

Irene Freeman

Thousand Oaks