Letters: May 15, 2006

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Your report was informative but omitted one facet of the debate. Although Iran is indeed surrounded by nuclear powers, none have ever remotely considered using such weapons because of the possibility of retaliation. If Iran wants to spend the vast resources needed to create the Bomb rather than improve the lot of its people, so be it. But there its Bomb will sit, a true albatross, consuming national resources while it remains unused because of fear of justifiable retaliation. ROBERT O. HOSKINS Florence, Italy

The idea that nuclear weapons are safe only in the hands of Americans and their European cousins and a danger to the rest of the world is not only patronizing but also racist. If the U.S. and its friends can be trusted with nuclear weapons, why not any other country? The only way to ensure universal nuclear disarmament is for all countries to renounce and destroy the nuclear weapons they have acquired. As long as some have them, others will try to acquire them. Iran is not only surrounded by countries that possess nuclear weapons but is also threatened with attack from the U.S. Should we expect Iran to behave like a sitting duck? ERISA MUGABI Kyotera, Uganda

Oil Pressure

In the interview with U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte [April 24], TIME should have asked whether he realizes that another Pearl Harbor is around the corner. It will be not a military attack but a political and economic blow that will cripple the U.S. Tehran and Moscow share a common interest: to drastically reduce the political power of the U.S. in the Middle East. Once Iran has the Bomb, Tehran and Moscow will practically control the world oil supply and could blackmail the U.S. and Europe. In the past few months, Tehran has bluntly positioned itself as the pre-eminent country opposing the U.S.--the first step before trying to boot the U.S. out of the Middle East. Let's hope that Negroponte's eyes, ears and mind are wide open. AVIV HALLEL Ramat Hasharon, Israel

The Brass-Hat Rebellion

Your story on the growing number of retired generals calling for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign [April 24] showed that our military's patriotism and bravery are of little value to the nation when our civilian leaders have poor judgment. Despite all his experience and expertise, Rumsfeld has shown poor judgment. And George W. Bush's failure to accept Rumsfeld's offers of resignation suggests that the President has also demonstrated poor judgment. LAWRENCE H. GORDON Honolulu

How can we as American citizens have any respect for those retired generals who spent their careers at the public trough and now want to destroy the boss they sucked up to while in command? They need to spend their time playing golf and leave the important decisions to our elected leaders. JOEL EPPERSON Birmingham, Ala.

Why didn't the Generals come forth with their criticism earlier? Competent leadership in the military has been declining ever since our nation went to the all-volunteer force. We Americans have become so soft that we don't have the guts anymore to stand and be counted. The same is true in our civilian agencies. CLAIR MENDENHALL Providence, Utah