Barbara Greenspun remembers 1989: U.S. must always be on guard

Friday, April 6, 2001 | 10:19 a.m.

The United States must never let down its guard. As long as there are nations that pose a threat to world peace, we must be ever on the alert. The collision between a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet is reminiscent of a time when U.S. warplanes were forced to down two Libyan jets, as described in Hank's column of Jan. 5, 1989.

While the Chinese incident was purely accidental, it is an example of what can happen as long as nations distrust each other. It behooves us, as a nation, to remain aware of the military capability and intentions of other countries.

If the United Nations chooses not to accept responsibility the United States must, and as long as distrust exists among the leading nations, there will be accidents that require the utmost diplomacy and tact to bring about understanding between the countries involved.

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