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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 26, 1992                   TAG: 9201280072
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: D2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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SANCTIONS COULDN'T HAVE DEFEATED IRAQ

YOUR JAN. 16 editorial on the Gulf War demands an answer from every American who had any part, mentally or physically, in saving Kuwait.

Economic isolation and sanctions were not working and, from what we now know, would never have worked in bringing about the defeat of Saddam Hussein's army. New routes through neighboring countries would have assured Iraq of all of the material they needed, just as they are doing now with the items supposedly restricted by the United Nations.

Also, if Kuwait had not been liberated and Saddam defeated, the United Nations would never have discovered Iraq's progress in developing nuclear weapons. This alone could prove to be the most important side benefit of the military action.

It is apparent that the Roanoke Times & World-News does not wish to admit its original mistake in backing sanctions (along with many congressional Democrats) over military action. Your liberal newspaper would probably have backed away from supporting military actions in 1776 and in 1941.

To believe that sanctions would have worked requires belief in the tooth fairy; but the tooth fairy would not have helped if Saddam had been able to use nuclear weapons, which now appears extremely probable.

JOHN F. DOWNIE ROANOKE

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