Letters

TERRAIN OF TERROR

"Ground troops are not the answer. There is no way in hell to save this ill-conceived operation except to withdraw in shame now." ULRICH H. RUDOFSKY Delmar, N.Y.

The murderous actions of the Serb nationalists in Kosovo pose a threat to all Europe [KOSOVO CRISIS, April 12]. If we do not act, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania will be the next targets, leaving Europe with the same radical nationalism but on a larger scale. It is imperative that we neutralize Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and his nationalist henchmen as quickly as possible. Again and again, we have witnessed the pattern of Milosevic's talking peace while readying forces for another assault against innocents. Attempts to negotiate only help the cause of Serb nationalism. WALTER G. AIELLO Durham, N.C.

I can't believe anyone is crazy enough to advocate the use of NATO ground troops to push the Serb military out of Kosovo. This sort of thinking demonstrates that we haven't learned a thing from Vietnam, Somalia and a hundred other similar situations. Superior firepower has created an illusion in the American mind that warfare can be swift, efficient and relatively bloodless. Fighting the Serbs on the terrain of Kosovo will be bloody, ugly and long lasting. If the politicians are so gung-ho to sacrifice our sons and daughters, let them be the first ones on the battlefield. GREG SAMSON Clinton Township, Mich.

Using ground troops isn't the answer. It isn't even the question. NATO's problem is not which means to use, it is a confusion of purpose. There will be no durable solution in Kosovo or elsewhere in the Balkans while Serbia's regional self-assertion persists undiminished. Asked how he would prevent a resurgent Germany from seeking once again to dominate Europe, Charles de Gaulle answered simply, "By war." The conclusion applies equally well to Serbia. RICHARD HART SINNREICH Lawton, Okla.

Milosevic thinks a big Serbian nation containing only Serbs will make the people stronger, but it will only make them weaker. The way for a nation's people to keep strong and vibrant is to live and interact with different human beings. BOB ELKJER San Rafael, Calif.

In personal confrontations, turning the other cheek can sometimes, although rarely, defuse violence. But not in war. Without Charles Martel's victory over the Muslims at Poitiers in 732, Western civilization might never have existed. Without Charlemagne's tireless campaigning, we would never have thought of a united Europe. War will stop only when a continual state of nationalistic flux ends. Peace will not be brought by a return to religion, for it has been at the heart of more wars than secular causes. JAMES SCOFIELD Olympia, Wash.

As a Holocaust survivor, I certainly understand the real meaning of "ethnic cleansing." I know from personal experience what it is to be a refugee and how it feels when bombs fall. I am convinced that the NATO war against Serbia is terribly wrong. It is a mistake to take sides in a civil conflict that we do not understand. It is wrong to attack a sovereign country that does not threaten us. It is wrong to impose moral values on others while we have none. It is wrong to take actions that make the situation worse. MIKLOS N. SZILAGYI Tucson, Ariz.