Nuclear weapons push world to the brink

Re “Case Against Iran Differs From Iraq,” Feb. 27

History has shown that technological advances in weapons always prove to have disastrous consequences. The United States has not lived up to its superpower ability to shape a better direction for all nations. Hard-fought gains in past conflicts such as World War II are beginning to look like they have been thrown aside. Now, after so much wasted effort, the world is beginning to fill up with factional regional nations, with nuclear weapons all set on a hair-trigger. These new nuclear-weapons players are mostly controlled by semi-fascist and paranoid leaders.

Let us do something about Iran and North Korea before they join this madness. If things continue, soon enough a tipping point will be reached and the variables for preventing the free use of nuclear weapons will become too much for any one country to manage. Iran and North Korea, by repeatedly acting against the better collective wisdom of the majority of the world’s progressive nations, have already lost their case to acquire nuclear weapons.

KEN C. ARNOLD

Santa Monica

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The Times writes about how Iran is different this time versus how the U.S. used, among other things, intelligence to attack Iraq, the difference being that this time the U.N. nuclear watchdog is providing clear indications that Iran’s nuclear intentions are not just for peaceful energy purposes.

The story stated: “But experts from many nations say that Iran’s failure to disclose its nuclear program for 18 years to the [International Atomic Energy Agency], as required under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, casts doubt on Tehran’s explanations.” Why not draw the same parallel with 12 years of noncooperation from Iraq following Desert Storm, as Iraq defiantly thumbed its nose at the U.N. and the U.S.? I do not see any difference.

RICHARD F. HAWTHORNE

Titusville, Fla.