Re: IRAQ/PAKISTANI ELECTIONS

[thansen@moscow.com]

Visionaires -

I tend to agree with Mr. Westberg.

In October of 1962, the Soviet Union was stockpiling nuclear missiles in Cuba 
(90 miles from our shores).  President Kennedy developed a defense perimeter 
around Cuba to prevent any further build-up of missiles.  Kennedy's actions 
were looked at as strictly defensive in nature.  Kruschev and Kennedy were 
virtually at opposite ends of a table, staring each other down, waiting for the 
other guy to blink.  Ultimately, military action gave in to negotiation and the 
SOviet Union withdrew the missiles.  We were virtually a nervous twitch away 
from a nuclear holocaust.

I believe that President Bush can learn a serious lesson from our past.

Tom Hansen
Moscow

> 
> 
> Now that Congress has given President Bush permission to go it alone in 
> deciding to introduce military action in Iraq, the administration would be 
> very wise to consider the results of the election in Pakistan yesterday.  
> They do not exactly bode well for Mideast reaction to non U.N. sanctioned 
> action.  I think Bush, Rumsfeld, et al seriously underestimate the powder 
> keg they would ignite by putting on their cowboy hats and charging in with 
> six guns blasting.  To try to compare this with the Cuban missile crisis is 
> a stretch.                                                                   
>                                                                          
> Carl Westberg Jr.
> 
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