Talking to Iran.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)

Readers of Fareed Zakaria's Dec. 17 column on the impasse over Iran's nuclear program sent in their own views on the subject. Recalling the problems in Iraq, one wrote, "Don't mess with Iran." But another said, "Let's act before it's too late." A third claimed, "The greatest threat to world peace is America."

Averting Iran's Nuclear Threat

Fareed Zakaria's Dec. 17, 2007, column "Make Iran an Offer It Might Refuse" seems to overlook the fact that the United States has virtually exhausted all its means in bringing the Tehran regime to its senses. To suggest that a policy of carrots and sticks might actually produce results is not only myopic but thin in substance. The less-than-efficient (if not inaccurate) intelligence report on Iran's nuclear program could only have embarrassed Washington further. In the eyes of the world, its decision makers have failed miserably--time after time--to project the credibility and soundness of U.S. foreign policy. Please do not mess with Iran--haven't Iraq and Afghanistan given us enough headaches?

Venn-Tzu Chaan

Penang, Malaysia

New media reports about the recently released National Intelligence Estimate on Iran led readers and viewers to believe that the Islamic republic has ended its nuclear-weapons program. We know better. The Iranian president is pursuing an illegal nuclear program. Nations around the world, led by France and Britain, are still strongly convinced of the Iranian will to build a nuclear weapon, and are still supporting new sanctions against Iran despite the new NIE report, which contains numerous ambiguities about Iran's intentions and progress toward creating a bomb. Indeed, buried within the report is a statement that Iran could potentially enrich enough bomb-grade uranium within 12 to 18 months to create nuclear weapons. Iran's extremist regime is still supporting terror and bragging about its nuclear pursuits and capabilities. Let's act before it's too late. As everyone knows, all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.

Alan J. Winters, M.D.