Dear Editor, Daily Nexus,

This is in reference to Ken Spain’s letter, (Daily Nexus, “Column About Fedayeen Fighters Makes Heroes Out of Monsters”, April 8) wherein he challenges Edward Gorenshteyn to be better informed about world affairs. I would like to point out that Mr. Gorenshteyn’s views of the Fedayeen as “valiant” and the parallel he draws between them and the American revolutionaries is merely his opinion, and it is rather unfair to accuse him of getting his facts wrong.

On the other hand, the extent of Mr. Spain’s grasp of world affairs is evident when he refers to India as a Muslim democracy. India is a secular, not Muslim nation. In fact, Muslims count only for a little over 11 percent of India’s population. Far from being free from terrorism and extremism, India is incessantly plagued by terrorist activities in Kashmir. It’s worthwhile to point out here that in the pre-9/11 world, the United States made noises referring to these terrorists as “freedom fighters” while continuing to supply their sponsor and its regional ally, Pakistan, with defense technology. It’s only when the association between these “freedom fighters” and America’s bogeyman al-Qaeda was made that the U.S. has become more sympathetic to India’s view.

The point being this: The Bush regime, like Saddam, or North Korea or any other nation or regime, acts in utterly selfish interests. No shortage of examples: China in Tiananmen Square, Russia in Chechnya, the U.S. in Guantanamo Bay. Morals and Principles and Human Rights usually go down the pooper when doing so. The Fedayeen, with their urban guerrilla warfare tactics, are no more or less valiant than the Coalition forces who drop 2000lb bombs that incinerate a half-mile radius on the ground from radar-evading stealth bombers. To be taken in by the sugar coating of “delivering freedom” and adopting a holier-than-thou attitude toward the Iraqi defenders is naive at best and bigoted at worst. However, it may just be too much to expect any better from someone with as limited knowledge of the world as Mr. Spain.