In response to Thomas Petersen’s Saturday letter about Iran (“Needless war”):
He — as I — was a Vietnam-era draftee, and we saw the carnage of that needless conflict and appreciate the horrors of war. I would, however, cite differences between this military action and conflicts in the past. It has been the policy of the Western world for the past two decades that Iran not have nuclear capabilities. It has also been the lack of action in those decades by the West — talk and ineffective sanctions — that has resulted in Iran producing enriched U235. Now here we are in 2026 and active measures, I hope effective, have been belatedly undertaken.
While the current conflict and cost have been “especially offensive” to Mr. Petersen, how offended would he feel about the aftermath of a 15-kiloton nuclear bomb destroying Tel Aviv, the predictable Israeli response and the atomic clock finally striking midnight?
I find the latter scenario much more than offensive and strongly support the current conflict.
