Rhajiv Ratnatunga’s assertion (“War on terrorism takes sacrifices, lives”) not withstanding,… Rhajiv Ratnatunga’s assertion (“War on terrorism takes sacrifices, lives”) not withstanding, U.S. policy in the Muslim world before Sept. 11, 2001, could hardly have been described as merely “reactive” and benign.

Indeed, the United States destroyed the region’s only democracy, Iran, in 1953; backed Iraq’s invasion of Iran in the 1980s and knowingly supplied Iraq with components for chemical and biological weapons; allowed hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children to die under sanctions; and propped up despotic regimes in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.

In addition, the United States has bankrolled Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 1967. It has been the only consistent opponent of Palestinian statehood besides Israel.

None of these things, of course, justified the criminal acts of Sept. 11, 2001. But they do render fairly absurd the simplistic analysis offered by Mr. Ratnatunga.

Sam Waite

Junior, CAS (Undeclared)

(412) 681-1968