Letter: U.S. must tackle high costs of war

Friday, Feb. 15, 2002 | 10:05 a.m.

The horror of 9/11 demonstrated our vulnerability to terrorist attacks. We had several warnings of things to come, but the administration failed to consider these. The perpetrators kept adding insult to injury and finally got our full attention.

In 1997 an Iraqi jet hit the USS Stark with an Exocet missile and killed 37 sailors. Saddam Hussein said it was an accident. We accepted his apology. In early 1998 two American embassies were bombed, one in Kenya, the other in Tanzania, with 300 lives lost. This was the work of bin Laden and al-Qaida. In December 1998 two Libyans caused the downing of Pan Am flight 103 in Scotland -- 261 people killed. In October 2000 the USS Cole was bombed off Yemen, causing 17 servicemen's death. Then on Sept. 11 the sanctity of our country was encroached upon with the loss of 3,000 lives. We finally decided we'd had enough, that terrorism has no place in a civilized world.

I have not heard anything about financial solutions for the 9/11 attacks. Families need to be compensated, and our country rebuilt. Additionally, the cost of mobilizing fighting forces is very expensive. The cost of providing security nationwide has weakened our economy.

Compensation must be sought from rich terrorist countries.

If a country refuses to pay its share over a reasonable period of time, we must invade and take funds, leaving money to maintain a decent standard of living for their citizens. The countries must agree to join the alliance.

We have already frozen the accounts of bin Laden and others, and those funds should be seized for positive use.

SOL DELEE