White House calls the tune

Re “Where terrorists hide,” editorial, March 10

Your editorial refers to insurgents, fighters, rebels and guerrillas, all essentially nonjudgmental labels, before changing keys to add “wiping out terrorist sanctuaries ... was not supposed to be so difficult.”

From that point on you dance briskly to the Bush administration’s tune, namely that foreigners without benefit of state who violently oppose our foreign policy are either death-deserving madmen or misguided malcontents one bribe away from turning on their brothers.

In my opinion, the true terrorists have taken over the White House, and U.S. policy can be summed up in three words: Might makes right.

Jon K. Williams

Goleta, Calif.

The struggle to eliminate the global threat of terrorism will need a careful measure of military might and effective aid and development strategies. The Afghan example illustrates two policy failures: military power falling just short of adequacy because of NATO caveats, and poor counter-narcotics strategies.

Certain NATO members must allow their troops to contribute to the true fight in Afghanistan, which is in the south along the Pakistani border, where terrorists enjoy a haven.

NATO troops should be in control of the border points in full cooperation with the Pakistani government.

A tougher show of NATO representation in the south of Afghanistan would pave the way for the safe implementation of a comprehensive aid and development strategy.

Finally, an effective counter-narcotics approach is drastically needed in Afghanistan.

Continuing to follow failed U.S.-led policies such as forced poppy crop eradication will only continue to push locals into the arms of the Taliban.

The Senlis Council proposes an alternative plan that has received the backing of the European Parliament. By allowing Afghan farmers to grow poppy for morphine, the economy of Afghanistan’s rural communities could be diversified, winning back the hearts and minds of the Afghan people while also meeting a critical global shortage of morphine.

Paul Burton

London

The writer is the director of policy analysis at the Senlis Council, an international policy think tank.