Use of radioactive weapons is reason for hatred of U.S.

Two of the letters in Wednesday's Wildcat mentioned the use of weapons equipped with depleted uranium by the U.S. military. In one letter, the writer seemed to doubt that this is true. I think it is extremely important for all Americans to realize that the United States definitely has used these weapons in at least one conflict.

My father lives in Greece, where many of the vegetables are radioactive (and therefore inedible) as a result of the U.S. military's use of depleted uranium in Bosnia. A friend of my father is from Bulgaria, where cancer rates are skyrocketing for the same reason. The radiation from these weapons travels far beyond where the weapons themselves are used.

It is worth considering this the next time we all wonder why there is so much anti-American sentiment throughout the world.

Bill Tsitsos
sociology graduate student

Money-for-oil is symbiotic relationship with Muslims

In Monday's commentary ("U.S. aggression against Iraq criminal"), Julian Kunnie misrepresented facts, drew unjust comparisons, and placed an unfair blame against the United States.

His statements on the Iraq war were completely misdirecting. While an unprecedented number of bombs were dropped, there were incredibly few civilian casualties and the bombs allowed for a preservation of civilian life rather than a disregard for it. These bombs were incredibly accurate and often were smart bombs.

There are no such things as "uranium bombs." The closest thing he could be referring to are depleted uranium missiles which are armor piercing. There has been no connection whatsoever between those weapons and Gulf War syndrome, which has been attributed to a faulty vaccine and Saddam's chemical weapons.

The Iraqi people are suffering because of Saddam's perpetual acts of violence. While Saddam's people are starving, he has built new palaces, continued his NBC programs and kept his cronies in lavish comfort. Iraq is allowed to sell oil legally under the U.N. oil-for-food program, which it does, but then promptly resells the food goods for unmanaged funds. He also has an extensive oil smuggling operation with Libya that has been estimated to bring him over $2 million daily. Iraq has killed its own people many times in the past and is just using the sanctions that were imposed by the U.N., not just the United States. The only reason why chlorine is prohibited is because chlorine can be used in making chemical weapons, which Iraq has done in the past.

One thing that Kunnie has forgotten in his tirade against the United States is that Iraq is a threat to its neighbors. It has committed numerous acts of aggression: the Iraq-Iran war, the invasion of Kuwait, the SCUD attacks on Israel and many others. Muslims have asked for the United States' support ÷ from the request of the Saudi government to station troops, to the allowances by nearby Muslim countries to use their land as bases under the auspices of the U.N. There is even a growing movement to allow the United States to use these countries' facilities, regardless.

The Muslim world needs our money as much as we need their oil. Kunnie should remember that this is a symbiotic rather than parasitic relationship, and he should remember when drawing all his erroneous comparisons between Iraq and Israel that Israel has never engaged in an aggressive war.

Matthew Miller
undeclared sophomore

Kunnie bravely puts forward real facts about Middle East

It was only a matter of time before an Israel supporter would throw out that favorite accusation, anti-Semite, at Professor Kunnie for his column ("U.S. aggression against Iraq criminal"), in which he pointed out that the U.N. Security Council has condemned Israel's brutal assault on the Palestinian people 84 times. Avi Margolin, along with other closed-minded Israeli supporters, have made it a routine practice to label anyone and everyone who does not stay silent about the violent and unjust actions of Israel against the Palestinian people as anti-Semites.

Margolin foolishly states that the condemnation of Israel by the international community is based on lies and "on countries criticizing Israel unjustly." That is completely absurd. Please tell me, Avi: Who, then, decides what is "just" and "unjust" if it is not the international community? Is it you, is it the powerful Israeli lobby group here in America, or is it the war criminals who run Israel?

Kunnie's column had more truth to it than most articles anyone will find here in America. I thank Kunnie for his effort and bravery, as I am sure that he was not in the least bit surprised by the unfair accusations against him. I also thank the Wildcat for allowing Kunnie's viewpoint, a viewpoint that many of us share, and a viewpoint that is gathering more and more support as people become more educated about the Middle East.

Armand Navabi
computer science senior

Get facts straight before going on Îrant and rave'

In response to Jesus Jimenez's letter in Thursday's Wildcat ("White Îignorance' is evident in letters against Kunnie column"), I have to ask one thing: Where is the validity of your rambling? You claim that your "sources for my truths come from the following works of Ward Churchill, David Stannard and Marie Clarie." With no following support other than these names, it sounds to me as if you were just siding with Julian Kunnie's accusations of the U.S. government (Monday, "U.S. aggression against Iraq criminal"). This is the present, not 510 years ago.

Am I a terrorist supporter because I don't ride a bike on campus? Is that what you are saying? Then this university must be plotting some kind of terrorist act, since there are thousands of us who don't ride bikes. That was the most moronic thing I've read in the Wildcat. Ever.

I'd offer you this advice: Next time you want to "rant and rave," make sure you have some facts of your own.

Ryan Sutherland
communications junior