Dear editor:

The legitimacy of the current military conflict in the middle east, according to Garth Turner, is above his pay grade (“The Turner Report: Mr. Trump’s war comes to NOTL,” March 12, The Lake Report).

While it is also above my pay grade, there are some issues that are generally held to be indisputable fact and require little in the way of analysis or thought.

For example: over many years, there has been the neverending call for the destruction of the U.S. and Israel. “Death to America” and “From the river to the sea.”

While tiresome and disturbing to many, both have been allowed without serious challenge by international authorities, and in the latter case (surrounded by hostile neighbours), no concern for its very existence.

These same authorities are quick to point out, however, the lack of legal justification or United Nations endorsement of the present combatants, which seems to some not to matter anyway when it comes to armed conflict, as history can easily and frequently testify to.

Iran, as part of its own nuclear research program, has verbally committed to civilian use only. However, this is not very convincing to many when military purposes are obviously seen and the contradiction noted.

This is unacceptable to many of those who see a nuclear armed Iran and its proxies as a dangerous threat to the Middle East. Although there are those who will undoubtably disagree, the U.S. has taken upon itself the position, rightly or wrongly, that it will not allow a military nuclear Iran and has given many serious warnings to this effect.

We are now witnessing a military conflict whose length and final outcome cannot be determined at the present time. However, we all know that in the meantime oil prices will increase and with them, inflation on just about everything.

Derek Collins
NOTL