LETTERS: PAPER SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED

To the editor:

I was sickened if not completely surprised that the Southeast Missourian didn't bother to answer the two recently published letters written by native Serbs. Both letters criticized what most Americans consider the more-than-justified NATO air attacks in Yugoslavia. But, they went way beyond that.

To criticize the bombing effort is a matter for public debate and discussion, as is the looming issue of whether or not to commit ground troops to the area. However, to allow two letters which were little more than propaganda that would be pleasing to the Milosevic regime to go unanswered by the Southeast Missourian is devastatingly disappointing.

The gist of the two Serb-written letters was anti-American and anti-NATO propaganda. They wrongly tried to lead readers to believe that NATO is engaging in acts of genocide, intended targeting of civilian populations and intentional and wanton destruction of non-military targets.

In addition, one of the two letters seemed virtual word-for-word mouthing of the Milosevic line and was apparently written by a member of his thuggish regime.

Because I believe in free expression of ideas, I have no quarrel with the publication of the two letters, though I consider them on a par with something Ho Chi Minh operatives would have loved to have published in U.S. newspapers during the Vietnam War. That the Southeast Missourian did not see fit to respond to the letters by at least calling attention to Milosevic's mass killing of ethnic Albanians and resultant exodus of hundreds of thousands of Kosovars is in my view grossly irresponsible. To me, the sad thing is that I know the Southeast Missourian would in no way want to create the impression that it is an apologist for the Milosevic government. Still, to allow such propaganda to be published without taking the time to point out the reasons most Americans feel the NATO air campaign is necessary and to fail to call attention to the boldfaced lies contained in the two letters must be a low point in the history of your fine newspaper, though perhaps stopping short of giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

STEVE MOSLEY

Cape Girardeau