"But this view draws a false distinction between containment and force. A preventive attack might not end Iran's nuclear ambitions. Defense Secretary Robert Gates argues that a successful attack would delay the Iranian program by at most a few years. Yet a policy of containment will not save the White House from having to make tough choices about using force. Indeed, Iran can be contained only if Washington is prepared to use force against an emboldened adversary armed with the ultimate weapon."
"Every February, one particular chapter of the Second World War seems to be discussed in the Post: the bombing of Dresden by Allied forces in February, 1945. This year was no different, with Bill Twatio questioning why this “Florence on the Elbe” was targeted.
More than two dozen readers responded with explanations. Here are a few that didn’t make it into print last week.
“War is, by definition, armed conflict, with the intention of imposing one side’s will over the other’s,” wrote Eric Warburton. “War is not an exercise in sportsmanship; you do whatever you have to do to win.”
“I had two uncles who were fighting at that stage of the war,” stated Ian Molyneaux. “One was part of an RAF crew that flew missions as part of Bomber Command. Both of them survived. Attacks like the one on Dresden shortened the war and saved lives. Even if only the life of one Allied soldier, one Allied airman or one person in a Nazi death camp was spared, it was worth it — no matter how pretty the buildings in Dresden were.”
“My father was on three ships sunk by German bombs,” added Michael K Power. “He was captured on the Island of Leros and spent almost two years in German prisoner of war camps. He escaped, and was recaptured six times. He was successful the seventh time.
“What did my father think about Dresden?” Mr. Power continued. “His words: ‘It had to be done. The Germans had to be stopped. We were lucky. The Germans were tough and well disciplined. We were very, very, lucky that we beat them.’ ”
And some readers just begged us to stop writing about this event.
“For some correspondents, the bombing of Dresden appears to be the only event of consequence in the Second World War,” wrote Jim Peat. “Those who actually lived through those days and were on the receiving-end of a bomb will tell you that they are sick and tired of reading the same rubbish each year, and wish that the Post would drop the subject.”
