Letter: China poses greater threat than Iraq does

Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2002 | 9:03 a.m.

Bush administration leaders, especially Vice President Cheney, are sounding the war drums.

They say Saddam Hussein must be removed from leadership in Iraq because he possesses weapons of mass destruction that might be used against other nations. Additionally, he has treated individuals within his nation savagely, refused to accede to United Nations dictates, and is likely guilty of sharing weapons technology with other rogue nations.

Therefore, claim our leaders, the United States has a responsibility to do everything in its power to topple his regime -- with U.N. authorization, of course.

But none of these war hawks are applying the same tests to another nation -- one that, in addition to being similarly guilty of Iraq's transgressions, has stated its intention to make war on the United States. That nation is the People's Republic of China.

The Beijing regime has weapons of mass destruction, trashes human rights, and has been the major supplier of arms and weapons technology to Iran, Iraq and North Korea -- nations identified by president Bush as the "axis of evil" -- as well as to the oppressive regime in Libya.

KEN HOVEY