Eastern European Nations Join NATO

After seeing the picture of President Bush welcoming seven new nations into NATO on the front page of Tuesday’s paper, I can’t help wondering: Will we ignore their vote and counsel like we did the United Nations at our first disagreement with them? Our actions in Iraq have hurt us diplomatically and domestically. The current “scandal” about what was known before 9/11 will only reinforce our feelings of fear and keep the military firmly in control.

Holly C. Violins

Needles

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In his White House remarks welcoming the three Baltic states, among others, to the NATO alliance, Bush sought to align them in the cause against terrorists, saying they bring “a moral clarity to the purpose of the alliance” and that “tyranny for them is still a fresh memory.” May I remind the president that the Soviets were given free will in the Baltics in the aftermath of WWII because the United States turned its back on the Estonians, Lithuanians and Latvians, allowing Soviet terrorism to prevail for more than 50 years.

The wrong has finally been righted with this latest step into NATO; hundreds of thousands of native Balts perished and countless others suffered under occupation.

As a child of Estonian emigres, I urge President Bush to think more deeply about the consequences of his policies in Iraq and elsewhere. An occupying force is never welcome anywhere, at any time.

Tiiu Leek

Beverly Hills