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		LATEST COVER STORY Russell Crowe in Command November 24, 2003 Issue Past Covers Jessica Lynch Nov. 17, 2003 ----------------- Tortured Minds Nov. 10, 2003 ----------------- Eating Smart Nov. 3, 2003 ----------------- Bollywood Oct. 27, 2003 ----------------- Tomb Raiders Oct. 20, 2003 ----------------- Bali Remembered Oct. 13, 2003 ----------------- What Went Wrong? Oct. 6, 2003 ----------------- What's Next Sept. 29, 2003 ----------------- Japan's Koizumi Sept. 22, 2003 ----------------- The Saudis Sept. 15, 2003 ----------------- Dyslexia Sept. 8, 2003 ----------------- U.S. in Iraq Sept. 1, 2003 ----------------- Asian Journey August 18-25, 2003 -----------------   ASIA  Indonesia: Antiterror academy  Thailand: Poisoned canals  China: N. Korean brides BUSINESS  China: Boom or bust?  Fast Food: Taco Bell in China? ARTS  Books: Life abroad NOTEBOOK  Diplomacy: Sorry, Mr. Rumsfeld  China: Serial killers  Vietnam: Old guard speaks out  Milestones  Verbatim  Letters GLOBAL ADVISOR  In-flight vino, to go  Hong Kong's hot tables  Is there a doctor in the lounge? CNN.com: Top Headlines

Bollywood Goes Global
"Queen Of Bollywood," on India's moviemakers and actress Aishwarya Rai, was disappointing [Oct. 27]. I especially disagree with Alex Perry's observation that Rai's unchallenged position in the industry is because of her determined pursuit of "different, against the grain" roles, such as her 1997 part in Iruvar. Iruvar was one of Rai's first films, and her contribution was mostly decorative. She has done the same thing in many other films to date. Rai's hit movies have succeeded on the strength of their songs and the presence of other bankable stars. She is very beautiful, which is something glossy Indian film magazines have been gushing over for years. Now TIME has joined the chorus.
Arun Nair
Bombay

Putting Indian actress Aishwarya Rai on your cover speaks volumes about Bollywood coming of age and making its presence felt worldwide. Ash, by performing powerful, serious roles in period films, has not only mesmerized moviegoers with her beautiful eyes but also proved that she is more than a gorgeous supermodel. Through perseverance, hard work and proper selection of roles, Ash earned the title of "Bollywood Queen" and is acting as India's cultural ambassador.
Srinivasan Balakrishnan
Jamshedpur, India

Mahathir Misses the Target
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's anti-Semitic comments deserve scrutiny [Oct. 27]. He said, "Today the Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them." If his comments weren't so pathetic, we should thank Mahathir for revealing precisely the mentality of the Islamic leaders he was addressing. Even if the Prime Minister's assertions were true, they largely missed the point. If so many Jews were in influential positions, it would show the ability of Jewish communities to adapt to their environment and grasp what modernity is about. Constrained by a difficult history, Jews have had little choice but to find ways to integrate into host societies. Just as anti-Semites in Europe did in the past, Mahathir is mistaking a consequence for a cause. He misses the real target, the modern and globalized world in which Muslim society has been marginalized. Modernity wasn't created by the Jews, and they don't control progress. As Mahathir said, the Muslim world will wield far more global influence if it fights terrorism and opens up its economies.
David Ginedape
Brussels

Determined Resistance
Thank you for your insightful report on the sophisticated and organized enemy attacks on U.S. troops [Oct. 27]. Why was it so hard for the Bush Administration and Congress to predict that some Iraqis would continue to fight us after the downfall of Saddam Hussein? If a coalition of countries were to successfully invade the U.S. for purposes of regime change, our citizens would employ tactics of terrorism against the occupying forces and attempt to destabilize the new government. The resistance would continue long after our defending forces had been defeated. The war in Iraq will go on until we acknowledge our arrogance and pull the invading troops out.
Michael Knox
Temple Terrace, U.S.

Events in Iraq make it painfully clear that the U.S. cannot bring peace and stability to that nation by itself. Despite the best intentions, the U.S. and its coalition partners are destined to fail unless Iraqis really want freedom. Believing that attacking Americans will lead to a better state of affairs for their nation is a catastrophic misconception. Iraqis will end up with a society ruled once more by gangsters. Iraqis must be willing to fight the terrorists and the thugs who are trying to impose their will upon them. If Iraq really wants to be a self-ruled nation, then let it start earning that right.
Charles Garner
Ascot, England

Pillaging Asia's Past
Re the cover story on Asia's illicit art trade [Oct. 20]: A nation's cultural heritage represents its glory and growth. Looking at the art of the past helps us take a break from the harshness of present-day life and travel back in time. Anyone who tries to downplay the theft or destruction of cultural artifacts is seriously misguided. Those who are involved in this heinous business must be severely punished. Antiquities reveal the saga of a bygone era.
Arvind K. Pandey
Allahabad, India

Iranian Nobelist
Iranian human-rights activist Shirin Ebadi, this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, said there is "absolutely nothing incompatible or contradictory about Islam, democracy and political freedom" [Oct. 20]. The people in the West have heard these wise words and will, I hope, remember them. Understanding them is a big step toward peaceful coexistence between Islam and Christianity.
Ahmed Mahmoud Namfullah
Faisalabad, Pakistan

To Set the Record Straight
Austen's Classic
In the article "Queen of Bollywood" [Oct. 27], we said that in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the Bennetts' estate was in Pemberley. They were from Longbourne.