Stopping genocide

I was confused by the statement in your editorial on Sudan ("Collateral Damage," June 4) that the American people and their representatives must, in concert with other nations, act to end ethnic cleansing in Darfur." It seems you have set up the perfect situation. You have called for action and then ensured it would not happen.

The United Nations is not going to act. It hasn't in the past and nothing suggests it will do so now. Is this a job for NATO--or have France and Germany had their fill? I expect they have. Who thinks that Russia or China or India or Japan will act? The only local nation that might be able to intervene is Egypt and it is occupied with the consequences of the Israeli pullout from Gaza and the spread of terrorism from Saudi Arabia.

If there is to be intervention to prevent another wave of mass murder it is up to the United States, Great Britain, and Australia and a few friends. Can we do it? Do we have the forces? Yes. We can call up two divisions--and associated forces--out of the Guard and Reserve and activate the Civil Reserve Air Fleet. We would also have to increase Army strength by 175,000 and Air Force strength by 25,000. This may turn out to be a long and messy intervention and we need to be prepared for that outcome.

Now, we have to get our forces in place between the Sudanese government forces and those they have been attacking. Sudan is land locked, so this means getting flyover rights. From whom? We would probably have to impose ourselves on Ethiopia and eat the added cost of flying around Egypt. Now we get to the hard part. We can protect our vulnerable transports by escorting them, taking our losses as they come, or by destroying the Sudanese Air Force on the ground. Which is it to be? The loss of the odd C-17 and Boeing 747 or a quick bombing campaign? Either way, we are now into killing to avoid being killed. And, we haven't even faced Sudanese ground forces. Is this what Commonweal is recommending? Urging action means accepting the consequences.

C. R. KRIEGER

Lowell, Mass.

The writer is a retired Air Force colonel. He has commanded a fighter wing and served as chief of the Joint Staff Strategy Division.

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