Taki's Full of Shit, McConnell's a Lefty Asswipe, Both Are on the Money; Readers React Some More; Domestic and International Good Will Flows In; Right on, Seitz?ro;”You Toady; History Lessons; More

Taki: How on Earth can you describe the fantasy rewards awaiting a suicide bomber, their fervent belief, recognize the difference between civilian and military targets and still refer to them as not being cowardly ("Top Drawer," 9/19)? I understand what you are trying to say, but it is, simply put, bullshit.

Dr. Richard Coplin, Costa Mesa, CA

Solidarity from Up North

The Prime Minister of Canada does not speak for more than 80 percent of us when he distances himself from our American neighbors in this fight of fights against global terrorism. As Canadians, we are fortunate and grateful to have the United States of America as a neighbor, a friend and an ally. And if our government believes there is a choice here, it is only because they have the luxury of living next to a generous benefactor who protects us from the violence that is so commonplace in the rest of the world.

For what it's worth, Mr. Chretien treats his own people with the same arrogant indifference. That he would pass up an opportunity to stand with other leaders at the site where we lost so many, including Canadians, rather than reschedule a political fundraiser, speaks volumes about this guy. And as he disgraces us yet again, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, a truly great prime minister and statesman, must be rolling over in his grave. He would not be proud of his protege right now.

John Kohos, Montreal

Twin Tonics

William Bryk ("New York City," 9/19) is a great tonic. Where there is now a great deal of sentimentalizing of the Twin Towers, Mr. Bryk manages to remember them as they were. In this, as in everything he writes, he makes his case on its merits. He does this by steadily marshaling and carefully organizing the facts without feeling compelled to enlarge any accidental metaphors. He writes with a reportorial honesty that can build a case without damaging a fact. Nor does his writing depend on the grotesque and tortured stylings, faux-street vocabularies or sincere attempts to insult the reader that his colleagues at New York Press and elsewhere seem to think so clever. Mr. Bryk and Mr. Strausbaugh always make New York Press a worthwhile read. Though I read MUGGER for fun.

Damian Bennett, East Elmhurst

Juneau We Agree

I was very glad today to see nypress.com back on the Web, I read it almost daily, it is an interesting change from life in Alaska.

John Cunningham, Fairbanks

The Great Pauline

Somehow, throughout the horrors of the last few weeks, I still found a little time to feel absolutely awful about losing Pauline Kael. Though I've had difficulty warming up to Armond White's work in the past, I'm grateful for his small tribute to her in reviewing Two Can Play That Game ("Film," 9/12). I know it seems strange to note one passing in the wake of so many thousands being obscenely obliterated. But she mattered, too.

Lou Manzato, Metairie, LA

Fallen Heroes

On Friday, I wanted to stop thinking about Tuesday. I did not want to spend more time around people who would speak of nothing else. I live near Mayor Jimmy Walker Park in the Village. At the end of the 19th century, the city removed a cemetery (belonging to Trinity Church) in order to construct the park. One monument was not removed. A cement tomb holds the bodies of Frederick Ward and Eugene Underhill. They served with the Eagle No. 13 fire company. The inscriptions on the tomb are almost worn away. In 1834, they died when buildings in which they were fighting fires collapsed on them. Frederick was 22 years old. Eugene was 20. Poor boys.

The current NYFD dates to 1865. Anyone who lives in the city has seen names in bronze near the gates of firehouses and noticed the ages of many of the buildings. It seems that a lot of the men (perhaps too many) are from Irish or Slavic families that have long since left the city. Downtown's vibe is set by brokers and bankers, the fashionable and free-spirited. Fortunes are made and lost; dance clubs open and close. The ladder and engine companies are a secluded corps. Maybe their men married girls they met in high school; they probably went into the department to escape futureless jobs.

I brought a candle, roses and a flag to decorate the tomb. When I got there, a Latino man was sitting alone in the park. He was drunk and hostile. "You think I'm just some fucking bum, right?" Right. "Well, I have a home." He related how he wanted to "kill all of them." He was so angry that he did not know what to do. I tried to make him think about what he was saying, without much success. So, we decorated the tomb together. Then he sat down on a bench to rage quietly to himself. I walked back to my place.

Once Tuesday is no longer an everyday thought, there will be a great call in the city and the country to never forget. The firefighters who rushed under an inferno never stopped to think. What were they feeling?

Sean O'Shea, Manhattan

We Should All Be So Lucky

On JimKnipfel's "Slackjaw" (9/19): What a great mother!

Helen Weber, Oklahoma City

Prog Talk

Again innocent people are murdered and wounded. I hope that U.S. policymakers value innocent human life more than the cabal who committed these heinous acts. Before there is an all out military response, we must thoroughly examine the complex global systems that lead to terrorism. While the guilty parties should be apprehended and dealt with accordingly, a sloppy, means-to-an-end response is not the wise or long-term answer.

It is likely that the acts committed in New York and DC are retaliatory in nature. The world financial system, housed partly in structures like the World Trade Center and "protected" by the Pentagon system, have led to distress around the world, with the impetus being the voracious desire for expansion, capital growth and mega-profit. We have a system that intrinsically develops both great wealth and dire poverty. Extremist factions have proven that they will callously strike out against innocent people as a cost-effective means to countervail financial and military domination. We need a comprehensive examination of the global financial systems and U.S. foreign policies that supersede the best interests of much of the world's population. Any change in orthodox economic policy must begin by "allowing" progressive ideas to join the national public discourse. Patriotic rhetoric and ritual can bring comfort to the general population, but lasting change will never be realized unless the power structures that staff our government cease to suppress democracy through media domination.

Walt Peretto, North Palm Beach, FL

Hate Speech

Scott McConnell's piece, "Why They Hate Us," ("Taki's Top Drawer," 9/19) is very good and very provocative. It's a credit to New York Press that you published it.

Joshua Micah Marshall, Washington, DC

McConnell's a Lefty, and an Asswipe, Too

Of all the simplistic, one-sided drivel written by the far left about this tragedy, Scott McConnell's ("Taki's Top Drawer," 9/19) is truly fit only to wipe the rear end of a donkey. He is an absolute ass with pretensions of superiority. In actual fact the blood of thousands of dead drips from his and many other left-wing hands. Their extreme hatred of America and the right has helped bring this tragedy into being.

Those on the extreme left wing, and all forms of the media, including the entertainment industry, journalists and college professors on every campus in the U.S., have continually portrayed America as the source of all the world's ills. Never mind our huge economic and humanitarian aid to others when they have needed us. Never mind our rebuilding of Europe and Japan and Korea and so many others. Never mind a military under a civilian government in accordance with the Constitution that does not conquer and hold territory around the world as so many countries have done before us. We do make mistakes but we do not torture, maim, kill or torment others as a way of life. The extreme left wing has helped bring this act of war to our shores by their constant bashing of America and Americans. The stain of the innocents' blood will be forever upon their hands. The best thing they could do now is get down on their knees, pray for the victims and our magnificent country and ask forgiveness for their arrogance, selfish pride and hubris. Then they could go up to New York City and haul rubble. In the meantime, a great president will wage a campaign that may, in the end, save even their sorry asses. We will win this war against terrorism because we, the American people, have the spirit, the means and the right man to lead us.

Diane Schwartz, San Diego

Kudos for McConnell

Thanks for Scott McConnell's article ("Taki's Top Drawer," 9/19). Your straight talk on Mideast issues is essential at this time. Why are Cheney and Wolfowitz so eager to wipe out Israel's enemies? I really resented Netanyahu talking to Congress about what "we" have to do.

Ron Carpenter, Panama City, FL

Tea Leaves

Nostradamus has nothing on Alexander Cockburn. I found the following in Cockburn's column (8/29) from two weeks preceding the WTC attack: "[Bush] is finding that absence from the nation's capital sits well with the people. The only time this rule doesn't apply is in times of war, when the people want their man right at Ground Zero." If that weren't enough, his column was alongside an ad with the header "Find Out What the Future Has in Store."

Frank DeLeo, Brooklyn

What About the Rest of Us?

I'd like to correct the misimpression left by that hairy, dilettantish Greek sophisticate aptly named Taki ("Top Drawer," 9/19). First of all, the once great state of Israel cowardly retreated from the Lebanese demilitarized zone some time ago. Not to leave that Hellenistic himbo guessing, it was actually his hero, Ehud "take another slice" Barak who caved into the psychotic Muslim horde emanating from Syria.

Secondly, our intervention in the Suez Canal conflict had nothing to do with our supposed "affinity" for those Arab savages. In fact, it was simply one in a series of misjudged moves on the part of the commie-sympathizers in the U.S. State Dept. Last, but certainly not least, I seriously doubt that abandoning our only ally in the Middle East (with the exception of Turkey) will enhance the prospects of a comprehensive peace. In fact, it will only provoke more of the lovely gifts we seem to get every so often from these religious zealots with diapers on their heads. My apologies to the nonterrorist Sikhs I may have offended.

Gerard J. Perry Jr., Brooklyn

Tis Pity He's a Whore

I was scanning through your paper and was bothered by a number of articles about the World Trade Center disaster. I understand that emotions are running high, but does that mean we must throw intelligence and reality out the door? Most heinous was Matt Zoller Seitz's piece praising Mayor Giuliani as our attack dog ("New York City," 9/19), when the only thing the Mayor did was read a list of casualties, etc. He's not done a single thing differently from Koch or any other mayor of New York City. Mayor Lindsay walked the streets after Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. Did Giuliani do that after the Diallo verdict, or any other situation of social turmoil?

The underlying facts are even more heinous. Mayor Giuliani is partially responsible for this disaster. Apparently, he had no contingency plan in place to deal with a skyscraper on fire. (Sending firefighters up 90 flights of stairs?) Are you telling me the richest city on Earth doesn't have a single firefighting helicopter to battle skyscraper blazes? The airports have foam trucks to extinguish jet fuel.)

The first rule of firefighting is: control the blaze immediately, because you cannot send firemen into a building to save people if the building might collapse. Considering that the two towers had been hit by large planes and were burning uncontrollably, you'd have to be the dumbest person in America to allow anyone into that building. This must be what everyone defines as Giuliani's "leadership" and "courage." Not to mention that in knowing that the towers had already been attacked, in 1993, the lack of any coherent and comprehensive plan for this situation is negligence like we've never seen. Even Chuck Scarborough, the news anchor, knew that the jet fuel fire would weaken the steel supports, and said so during live broadcasts right after the planes hit.

Seitz is right that Giuliani went to the scene immediately. He always does. Because that's where the cameras always are. That's not courage. Plenty of regular people also went toward the scene. Giuliani at best is a voyeur. (He never helps out on the scenes of a car crash or fire. He just gets in front of the camera and makes it look like he's in charge.) At worst, he's a self-aggrandizing whore who takes advantage of situations to act like he's the king. I think any investigation into this catastrophe will prove that Giuliani deserves much of the blame for it. (It didn't help that he has always supported Israel and basically said the Palestinians should go jump off a bridge.) And I think you should remember that this guy repeatedly suspended our civil liberties under the guise of security against terrorism. So we got the worst of both worlds: fewer freedoms and unprecedented terrorism. If that's leadership then we are truly doomed.

Jim Knipfel gets closer to the truth when he mentions that people above Canal couldn't get supplies because Giuliani wouldn't allow deliveries of food, water, newspapers, etc., in the unnecessarily "frozen" zone south of 14th St. ("New York City," 9/19). Giuliani's irrational action caused the loss of millions of dollars for businesses in this area. If that's leadership, then it's no wonder so many people are moving back to Iowa.

On a different note, is William Bryk one of those senior citizens who always talk about the "Good Old Days"? His criticism of the Twin Towers' architecture sounds like the people who said Elvis was "noise" or got mad when Dylan whipped out an electric guitar ("New York City," 9/19). The Twin Towers were great because they didn't look like every other skyscraper on the planet. They were absolutely unique, unlike the Empire State Bldg. (snore), the Sears Tower and all the other homogeneous buildings out there. Yes, it does seem like the government ignored the redundancy in construction needed in such buildings, but don't criticize the towers because they didn't resemble all other skyscrapers.

Jon Flanagan, Manhattan

Before the Attack, Too

It's funny how the WTC bombing has brought out all the "experts." Suddenly, some of your readers, as well as writers, are geopolitical geniuses with something to say. I'd be laughing if I weren't so bored.

Louis Cuisine, Manhattan

A Modest Proposal?

Re Christopher Caldwell's "A War War" ("Hill of Beans," 9/19). What about drugs of war? Why not leave the poor dogs to their Alpo and be scientific in addressing the monstrous occurrences of Sept. 11? Wouldn't it be practical to introduce psychiatric medication into the water supply of key Middle Eastern targets, something with a long half-life? A mild euphoriant could work and would also curb aggressive impulses. Perhaps we should opt for one that has weight gain as a side effect?placid, obese terrorists would be easy to spot from a long ways away. There would be casualties, of course, as the dosages couldn't be properly calibrated, but no bloodshed as such.

Warehouses of these substances are plentiful. Much of our country, including its children and pets, acts as if it's watching its life on tv, in pharmaceutical detachment. If we elect instead to exact an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, the terrorists will have won. They're prepared for it, and they don't mind dying. The entire world will smell like downtown Manhattan does now, like burning plastic with an undertone of decay. Satan will feast. My daughter says that if the Twin Towers had been smaller the planes wouldn't have struck them. She's three, but it's an educated opinion. She saw her horizon burn down out our south window. She's right?who'd rent office space in a rebuilt WTC? Someone who'd had his central nervous system surgically removed. Have we considered low-rise and low-income housing?

Liz Tidal, Manhattan

They're Both Right

Re "God Bless Our Attack Dog" ("New York City," 9/18), I'll go Matt Zoller Seitz one better. You and your wife were both right. Giuliani, the first person we would have expected to call for less freedom in exchange for more security, was instead the first person to proclaim the need to preserve our democracy?on Tuesday afternoon! He is a transformed man. Perhaps it was the intense criticism from people he would have loved to have tossed into the gulag that made him look inward to discover a personal understanding of democracy. After all, you and I can only imagine how a good man turns into Caligula when tempted by unrestrained power. We can read the "Federalist Papers" and agree intuitively with James Madison. But Giuliani has actually stood on the precipice of power-madness, and was brought back from insanity by liberty itself?the liberty of his critics to protest against him without being shot in the streets as in Tiananmen Square.

From this self-examination he now knows better than anyone that Madison, the political equivalent of Einstein, was right. Thus transformed by liberty, he grew into the leader even his critics now admire. And make no mistake, we admire him not just because he was courageous and an effective crisis manager, but because he instantly recognized and publicly exposed the end-game strategy of the attack: destroy their democracy, and thereby destroy their nation.

So, Matt, when your wife says, "I told you so," you can honestly answer back, "I told you so." Only in America, as they say.

Canaan Parker, Manhattan

Battered City Syndrome

Matt Seitz's sycophantic ode to our Mayor ("New York City," 9/19) reminded me of nothing more than the justifications of an abused wife who returns to her husband at the first hint of adversity. It makes my blood run cold that so many seemingly sensible people, once righteously critical of Giuliani's all-out attack on everything fine in New York, echo these hollow lies: "He really loves New York," "I'm just glad he's here to protect us," "He's so strong and in control." Their unflappable adherence to this flimsy self-deception is sickening.

This is just to remind you: every day that Giuliani has been in office he has tirelessly whored New York City to the highest bidder, bullied and corralled New Yorkers to make them palatable to rube tourists and incarcerated anyone who tried to claim their rightful share of his new Babylon, the city that was once their own. Of course he appears calm and magnanimous now. Like any abuser, he acts like a prince when his critics have swallowed their tongues and come groveling back to him. No one has noticeably objected to the martial law conditions in much of the city and the vicious suppression of the exceptional in favor of the insect logic of commerce-as-usual continues even now, in a time for extraordinary gestures.

Don't let this Judas go down in history as Our Beloved Leader, and don't let him tarnish our examples of true caring and fortitude: the brave bastards who downed the fourth plane, the firefighters and police who gave their lives, the proud citizens who stood ready to do any- and everything for each other.

Sam Talbot, Manhattan

Wish They'd Go to Amsterdam

Believe it or not, I believe Taki is wrong on something. The word "assassin" comes not from the Arabic name for Ishmaeli suicide squads but from "hashish," as that's what assassins smoked before they did their thing ("Top Drawer," 9/19). Times were different then, and, I guess, so was hashish.

C.J. Mellor, Savannah, GA

Get Your Double Standard Right

Taki refers to Uncle Sam's double standard regarding Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Southern Lebanon ("Top Drawer," 9/19). Last time I checked, the UN had certified Israel's complete withdrawal from Lebanon. And Israel's willingness to withdraw from almost all of the West Bank (where 98 percent of Palestinians are already under Palestinian Authority rule), as proposed at Camp David, is common knowledge. If anything, America's double standard is in urging Israeli "restraint" in response to suicide bombing attacks against civilians, while promising war against organized terror and the perpetrators of the WTC massacre.

Binyomin Ginzberg, Manhattan

They're Old Chums

Am I mistaken in recalling that Taki has written a column or two defending Osama bin Laden? When will he give us an update? Big fan.

Marco Battaglia, Manhatttan

Taki Offends Again

Though Taki claims to be putting "extremist rhetoric aside," his polemical discussion ("Top Drawer," 9/19) about Israel's and by extension America's responsibility for provoking Muslim fundamentalists to kill more than 6000 people in New York is highly offensive. His explicit connection between a desperate people, the creation of the state of Israel and mass murder makes sense only at the most superficial and one-sided of levels.

If American policies are what preserve the existence of the state of Israel, and Taki scathingly presents those policies as the impetus for terrorism, it seems only logical that America's commitment to the state of Israel ought to be revoked in order to avoid events such as what happened from happening again. On the contrary, America's deep commitment to the continuing security of Israel is a commitment most Americans share both on strategic and moral grounds. To suggest that the U.S. must walk away from this commitment to deal with terrorism is both shortsighted politically and offensive to those who believe that Israel has a right to exist.

Adam Gregerman, Manhattan

Who Was First?

Taki: Everything you wrote ("Top Drawer," 9/19) is all well and good, but was Israel founded on "Arab land"? Christians could just as easily say that Egypt, Syria and Lebanon were conquered by Arabs who came from the Arabian Peninsula and forced these formerly Christian lands to become Muslim. What of Spain, Constantinople, etc.? Why are Christians alone viewed as the aggressors? Are the Israelis innocents? Of course not. Are they less beastly than the overwhelming majority of Islamic states? To ask the question is to answer it.

George Michalopulos, Tulsa

Sober Disagreement

I do not agree with Scott McConnell that America's support of Israel in some way justifies terrorism on American soil ("Taki's Top Drawer," 9/19). The people who perpetrated the Trade Center massacre had a hundred reasons to hate the U.S?our troops in Saudia Arabia not the least of them. Scott should remember that the planning for this attack started way before the most recent "intifada" and the breakdown of the peace talks.

However, I do think the nation should pause before the inevitable retribution and consider the millions of already starving Afghans who have suffered under the yoke of Osama and the hideous one-eyed mullah. They do not deserve to suffer any further.

Charles Shamash, Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Electric Ladyland

I was going crazy for a few days, not being able to connect to your website and read Taki and friends. Also, I love your food column. But the one who really electrifies my brain is Carol Iannone. She is sheer genius. (Eat your hearts out, Ann Coulter and Peggy Noonan.) Is Ms. Iannone old or young? Has she written any books? Anyway, you guys are great?my favorite New York publication.

Steve Heller, Indianapolis

Claude Is James Mason

Is there an intentional similarity between Claude La Badarian, of your "Dining Late" column, and Nabokov's Charles Kinbote? Both seem to be pedantic, delusional and deathly dull, but just as this reader is about to lose interest, come forward with a comedic gem, or at least a priceless insight.

And, I wonder, is there not a small nod in Taki's direction here? Claude's columns dawn much the same as Taki's: complaining about some irrelevancy or other and then petering out to conclude with a complaint about attractive women running from Claude or Taki at cocktail parties. Just thought I'd ask.

Edward Vogel, Manhattan

Fanning the Flames

Your paper published some rather interesting pieces that upset me. The first piece was Alan Cabal's, in which he referred to the killing of Abu Ail Mustafa, the general secretary of the PFLP, as the assassination of a freedom fighter ("New York City," 9/12). Freedom fighters kill enemy soldiers in combat, they do not send out suicide bombers to blow up women and children in pizzerias or teenagers in discotheques. This is what terrorists do.

The other article that upset me was Taki's singularly vile column, "Race Rats" ("Top Drawer," 9/12). What upset me about this column was his gratuitous reference to "towelheads." Saudi Arabia has been a monoreligious country for centuries and we had no reason to offend the mores of our host country since we were both trying to keep the oil flowing to the West. Bigoted remarks such as this serve no purpose.

Walter Segall, Manhattan

Media Crime

Matt Zoller Seitz ("New York City," 9/19) refers to the Dorismond and Diallo shootings as "the most appalling crimes imaginable." In neither case did the available evidence disclose any crime whatsoever, legal or moral. The Dorismond case was apparently the accidental discharge of a gun. Period. The Diallo case was one more shooting by law enforcement personnel of someone believed to be reaching for a gun but who, in fact, was reaching for something far less lethal. There are probably 20 incidents of this type every year in this country. Indictments, much less convictions, seldom, if ever, follow.

FBI agents, U.S. marshals, border patrol agents and state and local police have killed people of every race conceivable whose feared weapons, held or reached for, turned out to be a tv remote, cellular telephone, screwdriver, fishing rod, flashlight or (in one case) a chocolate bar wrapped in tin foil. The 41 shots fired in the Diallo case were attributable to inadequate ammunition, of a type withdrawn by the NYPD soon after. If you are shooting at someone whom you believe is trying to kill you and he does not go down after being repeatedly shot at, you will go on firing until he does.

The real culprit in the Diallo case is the media, whose chronically selective reporting (which relates all cases without the required racial mix to the wastebasket) has been distorting reality for decades. The Diallo soap opera is the media's masterpiece.

Name Withheld, Manhattan

Only Zhdanov Knows

In New York Press some time ago Christopher Caldwell wrote an article subtitled "Goody-Goodies and Sex-Maniacs" ("Hill of Beans," 3/7) In the piece, Caldwell, discussing Clinton's sex-cum-politics obsession, casually asserts that "Clinton's is a Zhdanovite attitude." I thought this was an odd reference. It was somewhere between recherche and recondite. When I "Googled" the word "Zhdanovite" the first hit that came up was one of those interminable Marxist essays describing a facet of the cultural history of Britain's Communist Party (GBCP.org). In the essay a reference is made to the Zhdanovite attitudes of one "Christopher Caudwell" and his work in the Modern Quarterly.

Am I on to something here? Was this a Caldwell joke? Was he trying to toss off "Zhdanovite" knowingly for fun? Please tell.

Tom Phillips, Manhattan

Infamy II

Christopher Caldwell's "Hill of Beans" (9/19) was right on the money. We are dealing with the heart of evil and we must stop these people before they bring civilization to its knees. This is the pivotal moment in the history of the world since the end of World War II. The future of civilization hangs in the balance. As a nation and as a global society we must be willing to accept the consequences of the struggle that will ensue as we hunt down those who perpetrate these murders and atrocities.

God bless the good people of New York City, and the good people of the United States of America and its allies, as we rise up and strike down these enemies of freedom. These elements of dark-hearted evil must be stopped, not so much in the name of revenge, but for the preservation of civilization and freedom. Our lives and the lives of our children depend upon it.

Tracy Meadows, Brenham, TX

Name-calling, Anyone?

Scott McConnell should change his name to The Fool. In "Why They Hate Us" ("Taki's Top Drawer," 9/19) McConnell ignores the fact that the attacks had been planned for years by tying a can to our current president's tail. (Memo to The Fool: Bush has been in office since January 2001.) Of course, then there was the Republican congressional blunder. By impeaching Clinton, the evil Republicans drove him to bomb an aspirin factory that led inevitably to the WTC attacks.

New Yorkers have grown in their countrymen's eyes from petulant adolescents to full, admirable manhood in the last 10 days. (Even the Yankees have warmed my heart, although I'm certain that will pass.) The Fool is just a small, bitter and nasty man, whose sole redeeming purpose is to serve as a caution to us all not to give in to base pettiness and the demons of our nature.

Larry Dempsey, Modesto, CA

New World Orgasm

Why is the big question. Why do Osama bin Laden and countless others want to destroy the World Trade towers and burn our flag? Asking (the right) questions and listening to answers will melt the resolve and anger of both sides who are willing to sacrifice themselves for punishment and revenge.

Other questions that need to be answered: Why is the Air Force allowing airliners to deviate from their scheduled flight corridors? Did all of the Pentagon employees arrive at work on time Tuesday morning? Why aren't most of our spies fluent in Arabic dialects? Every four years we have elections for a new administration, so why is the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff now secretary of state and the former secretary of defense now vice president?

Bush mentions war with every speech now. How can such primitive and dangerous rhetoric be considered in 2001? If the Taliban shouts Holy War and enslaves its women, if the Chinese execute people who meditate or talk about democracy (or the Dalai Lama), if Turks massacre Armenians and/or Kurds (instead of saluting their language and culture) we can turn our backs on genocide (just ask any Native American) for we are U.S. citizens: an intelligent land of immigrants. We believe Palestinian and Israeli kids should fight with soccer balls and argue over B-flats and F-sharps in their search for harmony in this crowded world. We believe in peace and community spirit, volunteerism and charity.

The big question, again, is why? Why was the USA attacked? Extra billions of dollars to "fight" terrorism won't work, because it's money, time and effort spent in the wrong direction, like the endless "War on Drugs" that can only be won by individuals who refuse to intoxicate themselves. Build more rehabs instead of jails. Legalizing drugs eliminates the forbidden-fruit attraction; they become a distasteful choice.

Why are we, in 2001, at war? Because it's the "New World Order" orgasm, carte-blanche funding for fascism masquerading as freedom. It's capitalism that has been attacked; money/power manipulation of markets worldwide. The global control is what is being attacked by people who see one country (the U.S.) as six percent of the population, using 60 percent of the natural resources. Mr. Bush wants the world to come together to fight terrorism, but the fires of hatred are put out by the waters of love. I am sorry, sir, but we will never win if we "routinely" bomb Iraq and refuse to join the worldwide ban on landmines and consensus on the Kyoto accord. Mother Earth is terrorized by the oil industry and war economy, which should immediately shift into clean and natural energy and a peace economy. Everyone must pray in his own way, but Good God Almighty is surely not happy with children killing on another. Communication and therapy about why is in order, not war.

Frank Craven, Manhattan

A Brief History of Israel

I could hardly wait for another one of your anti-Israel issues, especially after Sept. 11. As usual, the calumnies kept coming.

A little history lesson may help: You may remember (but not give a damn) that there was a little problem about Jews being slaughtered in Europe some five decades past. Some stubborn ones even resisted, escaped and tried to find shelter. The best solution that the world could find was a place where there had been Jews for a very long time. (One of them, you may remember, was born there some 2000 years ago.) The United Nations agreed to partition the land so that (since the Jews had their own homes stolen in the old country and since no other country wanted them) they could finally have a home of their own?far away from the places they knew best, of course.

Anyway, the United Nations agreed that Jews, too, had a right to have a homeland. The Jews did not "steal" land from your Palestinian pals. It was given to them by the guilt-stricken United Nations as their due. The land that Israel "seized" after that was in response to massive invasions by their Arab neighbors. Israel won land in a hard-fought and costly war. Countries that win land in wars don't give land back?that's the way the game is played.

On May 16, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the new country of Israel, declared in his first proclamation that Arabs of Palestine would have full rights and full representation in all governmental agencies. (Are there any Arab countries with the same proclamation about freedom for Jews?or even for Arabs?) But the Palestinians had it so good under the mullahs, shahs and Arafats, who gave them all the dirt they could eat, that they fought and fought, and fight today. They fight for the wonderful lives they have under their benevolent and democratic leaders. They fight for the right to keep their sons and daughters out of school, on the dole and ready to die. It's all, once again, the fault of Jews. If there were no Jews, Hitler would have been a happy paperhanger. If there were no Jews, Osama would be running a car dealership in Oman. If there were no Jews, New York Press would be out of business.

Rita Denowitz, Manhattan

Biblical Knowledge

Once again your paper is filled with the anti-Israeli distortions of Taki and Scott McConnell ("Top Drawer," 9/19) in an effort to explain the horrors of the attacks on the USA, as if any rationale can explain them. Yes, I am sure that hatred of Israel is a huge part of the rationale of these attacks, and, as usual, that hatred receives unequivocal support from these so-called journalists.

These and other writers for your paper have often filled their columns on this subject with half-truths and conveniently omitted facts that do not support their stances. To begin with, Taki states that Arabs despise Israel because "its creation in 1948 involved the seizure of Arab lands." What he does not mention is that these lands were seized during the course of a war waged by the combined armies of the Arab nations with the openly stated intent of destroying the brand-new Jewish state, which was at that time a nation populated mostly by Holocaust survivors. If he wants to talk about UN resolutions, how about the one calling for the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, a resolution unanimously rejected throughout the Muslim world? From day one, Israel has desired only to be left in peace, and since day one it has been met with war and terrorism. In conceiving of the partition the UN was recognizing the conflicting historical claims of two peoples and offering a civilized solution. Can any of your writers suggest a better one?

These so-called "Arab lands" have, in fact, changed ownership numerous times in the past two thousand years since the destruction of the Jewish kingdom that existed there for centuries. The land fell under Arab control when it was conquered by the armies of Mohammed. Even since that time the control of Palestine has gone through many hands. The entire Middle East was taken by the Arabs through acts of war. The sole exception is the Arabian Peninsula from whence the Arabs originate. Their claims outside of Saudi Arabia rest solely on the results of the use of force. Of course, this is true for most of the world. Does the fact that this land (Palestine) belonged to Jews for longer than any of the conquerors that followed (Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, European Crusaders, Turks, etc.) count for nothing? Unlike for the Jews, there is no special historical or cultural ties to this land for the Arabs. For the Jews, Israel and Jerusalem mean everything. They are part of the very identity of Jews.

Is there an expiration date on the territorial rights of dispossessed peoples? When we talk of Palestine, we are referring to a land whose historical borders are defined by the borders of the ancient Jewish kingdom of Israel. Why is it even referred to as "Palestine," a name given by its Roman conquerors as an insult to the Jews they had vanquished and driven out? There would be no such thing as Palestine if there had never been an Israel. Since the time of the Romans, Jews have been a people without a homeland and repeatedly have paid the price for their defenselessness. Zionism has always been about ending that defenselessness by returning to the Jews' ancient homeland of Israel. Why are the nationalist aspirations of Palestinians acceptable, but not of Jews?

Arab lands are vast. They stretch from the Straits of Gibraltar in the west to the Persian Gulf in the east. But the Arabs refuse to allow a non-Arab, non-Muslim state to exist in their midst, and that is the crux of the problem. And yet it is the Israelis who are accused of racism. By the way, a large portion of the Israeli population is as dark-skinned as any Arab. Their ancestors have been in the Middle East since biblical times, illustrating the absurdly political nature of the charge of racism levied against them. All the Israelis originally wanted was a tiny strip of land, about the size of the state of New Jersey, a land brutally stripped from their ancestors long ago. They were quite willing to share it with those who had come to occupy it since that time, according to the UN plan.

McConnell writes of Ariel Sharon's visit to "Jerusalem's holiest Muslim site." What a gross distortion. The Temple Mount is the holiest place in all of Judaism. It is the site of the Temple of Solomon, where the Jews believed God dwelled on Earth. It was once the absolute center of Jewish religion and culture. Should Ariel Sharon, a Jew, have been beholden to refrain from visiting the holiest of Jewish sites, in the ancient capital of the Jewish nation where Jews today maintain sovereignty, in order to appease Islamic sensibilities? Jews were forbidden from visiting this site when it was controlled by the Jordanians prior to 1967. That would be like forbidding Muslims from entering Mecca. Where were the concerns for Jewish sensibilities? Could it be that a people so few in number don't warrant such consideration? Sharon's point in visiting the Mount was to demonstrate that no Jew would ever again be barred by Muslims from entering its precincts again.

There is complete religious freedom within Israel, unlike the rest of the Middle East. Israel is not run by an authoritarian religious regime or a military dictatorship. Israel is a secular state whose citizens enjoy civil and human rights unprecedented elsewhere in the Middle East. It is the only legitimate democracy in the region. Taki states that without U.S. support Israel would not exist today. That may be true, but why would Israel cease to exist except for continued Arab aggression? He writes of American duplicity in the Arab-Israeli struggle. He mentions further UN resolutions without ever mentioning the far-reaching Arab and Muslim influence over the UN's councils. Israel is a single small nation of six million. It is not of strategic importance to anyone now that the Cold War has ended. Arab and Muslim nations, on the other hand, are numerous and collectively wield considerable economic and political influence. They represent a sizable portion of the world's area and population. The outcome of relevant proceedings in the UN has never been in doubt. Every resolution dealing with Israel since its inception has been against it. This process reached a low point with the "Zionism equals racism" proclamation. The thought of Theodore Herzl, a victim of anti-Semitism, as the fountainhead of a racist movement is too absurd for words. The notion of fairness and evenhandedness by the UN in regard to Israel is entirely laughable.

Taki mentions the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. How is it possible that he fails to mention that this was in self-defense, intended to put an end to years of shelling and rocket attacks against northern Israeli towns by the PLO, headed by Yasir Arafat? Would the U.S. (or any nation) do any less under the same circumstances? He mentions the Six Day and Yom Kippur Wars. Was it not Jordan, Syria and Egypt that massed their armies on Israel's borders in 1967, threatening its existence? Was it not Egypt who invaded Israel in 1973, not the other way around? Israel is criticized for human-rights violations by nations that rule their people by fear. Any sane and reasonable voice among the Palestinians that calls for peace is quickly snuffed out with bullets or bombs by fellow Arabs. The Israelis are blasted for cracking down on violent demonstrations that are little more than poorly armed attacks on Israeli soldiers by nations that would slaughter their own people by the thousands in a similar situation. The bias of the UN is something that has long been recognized by the U.S. and it has acted accordingly, despite the opposition.

While there are extremist elements within Israeli society, they are by no means the prevailing mindset. Efforts in your pages to portray Israelis otherwise are completely misleading and the authors know it. Israelis overwhelmingly want peace with a neighboring Palestinian state, but only if that includes peace for the Jewish state. There must be peace for both sides. In the end it all seems to come down to 1948. For those who don't accept Israel's legitimate right to exist, all that follows is part of an ongoing struggle. All legitimate acts of self-defense are seen as acts of aggression. It all amounts to blaming the victim. I cannot see much Israel has done, including the settlements, that was not intended as a measure of self-defense. None of it would have occurred if the Arabs would have let them exist in peace. Can the Israelis really be expected to preside passively over the destruction of their own nation? They are a tiny nation surrounded by enemies who have repeatedly waged wars and campaigns of terrorism against it. We are supposed to understand the anger and militancy of Palestinians, but not of Israelis? I think New Yorkers right now feel as Israelis have for decades. I don't hear much sympathy for our attackers in this town, any more than one would in Jerusalem. Like it or not, the land of Israel is in the control of the Israeli Jews and they will never willingly surrender it, nor is there a power in the region that can drive them from it. Peace is the only option, but peace requires two willing partners.

Rick Engelsher, Woodside