Non-aggression pacts

Press, 4 March 1983, Page 16

Non-aggression pacts

Sir,—Mark Sadler (March 1) calls the ways in which the U.S.S.R. and the United States have created empires of influence, “aggression,” and claims that American aggression has been a “dismal failure.” Not so, though some have failed, some are failing, some will fail. Through immoral political and military interference the United States have congenial or shackled client governments in many countries with abysmal human rights records, some of which countries are threatened by revolution. “Supplying Repression: U.S. Support for Authoritarian Regimes Abroad” by Michael Klare and Cynthia Arnson lists 48 undemocratic regimes receiving police training (with the Green Berets) and lethal and torture equipment from the United States. It lists also 35 countries, named as major violators of human rights by Amnesty International, which receive United States military armaments. I call that aggression by proxy. —

Yours, etc., SUSAN TAYLOR. March 1, 1983.

Sir,—ls aggression less reprehensible when it fails, than when it succeeds? Mark D. Sadler seems to think so, if his reply (March 1) to another of Susan Taylor’s incisively critical letters is a guide. While confirming that Russian propaganda and jingoism (for example in Afghanistan) differs little from British and American versions, he again fails to realise that Russian aggression is usually more successful because it generally backs the “underdog” while American aggression invariably supports' those who have always used, abused,, and exploited, the underprivileged majority. While Mr Sadler sincerely believes that Russian disarmament' proposals are “propaganda ploys” there are many others convinced that a commitment to disarmament by both sides is the only answer. After suffering at least 38 million dead and almost total destruction in this century, alone, we could, at the very least, credit the Russians with some genuine sincerity on this vital matter, and act accordingly.—Yours, etc., M. T. MOORE. March 1, 1983.