International Letters: Killing Taliban Pows

How about round-the-clock "bombing" of food, clothing, medical supplies, baby formula, radios, building materials, etc., in place of cruise missiles and Daisy Cutter bombs to win over the hearts, minds and stomachs of the Iraqi people suffering under Saddam Hussein's regime? Continue "bombing" until the goods are piled high in the streets. Human nature is impressed by power, but it is also impressed by generosity and wealth. What better way to expose a suffering people to the ultimate corruption of their leadership than for America to shower them with the riches of a better system? How would Saddam look to his people if he were seen trying to shoot down U.S. planes filled with gifts instead of bombs?
Christian Dufay
Seattle, Washington

Atrocities by Proxy

Babak Dehghanpisheh, John Barry and Roy Gutman deserve congratulations for their excellent and most revealing coverage of "The War Crimes of Afghanistan," (Special Report, Aug. 26). Gen. Tommy Franks can't possibly deny the close involvement of U.S. soldiers with Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum during the transfer of prisoners in the containers. Capt. Mark D. Nutsch of Special Forces 595A team, always with General Dostum, didn't want to discuss the matter with your reporters. We in the Third World wait to see if the U.S. administration's hawks take moral responsibility or pass this off as merely collateral damage of war.
Syed Farhat Ahmad Roomy
Dhaka, Bangladesh

Congratulations on your coverage of war crimes in Afghanistan. I'm sure Americans must be embarrassed that their forces either participated in--or at least did nothing to help prevent--the atrocities committed by the Northern Alliance against the Taliban. War crimes cannot be justified on any grounds. Your bold revelations must alert those in charge to initiate a full-fledged international inquiry. If we do not distance ourselves from these public enemies, we cannot complain about what has happened in Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda or elsewhere.
Hakan Senturk
Istanbul, Turkey

Kudos to your entire team, especially your plucky investigative reporters, for their moral courage and commitment. Your report showed how a professionally committed team of journalists can expose atrocities of horrifying proportions despite all the odds and despite the obstructions created by those involved.
M. Saleem Chaudhry
Karachi, Pakistan

You exposed the ugly face of war and the war crimes by America's Afghan allies who are no more than bandits and murderers. The warlord Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, known as a butcher and dubious crook, has an army of assassins at his command. This was a ruthless killing of prisoners of war. Why does the United States always bet on the wrong horse?
Syed Rashid Ali Shah
Vroomshoop, Netherlands