Murray Dobbin is correct in worrying about Stephen Harper blindly backing Bush in a war with Iran [“Harper to back Iran strike?” Oct. 5-12]. Look where we have gone in Afghanistan since Harper has taken office. We have increased our role in Afghanistan and are now helping the Americans in the most dangerous region there, potentially freeing up thousands of American troops for Iraq. Our deaths have gone from eight to 40 since March, and we are increasingly fighting a hopeless insurgency against the Taliban, who have a refuge in Pakistan. How is it in Canada's interest to aid and abet the Bush administration's illegal wars and flouting of international agreements such as the Geneva Conventions? We should be taking up our traditional role as neutral diplomats and peacekeepers rather than acting as vassals of American militarism.

> Murray Martin / Burnaby

Murray Dobbin's apology and advocacy for the Iranian acquisition of nuclear weapons is disturbing.

According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, the current regime in Iran openly persecutes homosexuals and has engaged in hanging them and bulldozing them behind walls. Iran has the highest rate of juvenile executions in the world. Iran's political prisoners are systematically brutalized, tortured, and murdered in captivity””does anyone remember the Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi? Iranian women are denied even the most fundamental human rights that are afforded to any man. The current regime in Iran arms and supports terrorist entities throughout the Middle East and has advocated on numerous occasions the annihilation of another country in its midst””notwithstanding Mr. Dobbin's absurd attempt at clarification of the nuances of the Farsi language in this respect. The current regime in Iran is xenophobic, theocratically totalitarian, and despotic and has unconcealed imperialistic intentions. I wonder what Dobbin's position is on North Korea.

Bush's apocalyptic and reckless fiasco in Iraq is imploding, and soon his corrupt regime will be out of power. Nevertheless, in its fanatical, ideologically motivated zeal to thwart the United States and Israel, the far left will give its unqualified support to any group that opposes that regime, no matter how dangerous or murderous. Of course, there is ample precedent for this in leftist politics: to wit, Stalin's Russian and Mao's China. It is little wonder, and very sad, really, that the left has become so insignificant to Canadian politics.

> Frederick Fajardo / Vancouver