Jun 21, 2008

Letters to the Editor

Daily News

Great threat to U.S.

Dear Editor: Tejinder Uberoi's June 19 letter claims Israel is a greater threat to U.S. interests than the Iranian regime. Iran President Ahmadinejad has vowed to "wipe Israel off the map," hosts Holocaust denial conferences attended by the likes of David Duke, claims that there are no gays in Iran and sanguinely talks of the imminent destruction of the West. His regime has exported terrorism elsewhere through proxies like Hezbollah, which held the top spot of killing the most Americans of any terrorist group until 9-11.

The words and deeds of the Iranian regime do not bother Mr. Uberoi. Instead, he rails against Israel. He claims that the U.S.-Israel relationship is a determinant to the United States. How does a country of 6 million Jews and 1 million Arabs manage to unduly influence a country of 300 million? Why does Mr. Uberoi have so little regard for the other hundreds of millions of Arabs and Iranians who cannot influence the United States despite their oil?

Israel removed the nuclear threat from Iraq in 1981 and, more recently, Syria's nuclear ambitions without the mess we now have in Iraq. Israel has not threatened to eliminate the Arab or Persian world. To him, building houses in disputed areas is more morally reprehensible than, say, the Iranian record on human rights.

Democratic governments like Israel are answerable to their citizens. Autocracies like Iran have no regard for their own people.

Gur Hoshen, Cupertino



False prisoner's claim

Dear Editor: In the June 1 story, "Caught in Singapore legal web, Palo Alto man faces possible prison term," Mr. Chong Kee Tom made several baseless allegations, for example, that he was housed with "a man on death row" and "bathed out of a squat toilet." He was neither housed with any death row inmate nor with any person facing capital charges in the Queenstown Remand Prison. Like all other inmates, he took his daily shower in the exercise yard, where designated shower facilities are available.

Mr. Chong has been charged for the offense of forgery for the purpose of cheating and criminal intimidation under Singapore laws. He told your newspaper that he was "unlawfully treated because he didn't get a trial before spending a week in jail." This is untrue. After he was charged, the court offered him bail but he was unable to furnish it. He is out on bail now, and his case will be heard in court soon.

The Singapore Prison Service is committed to the safe and secure custody of inmates, including their physical well-being. All inmates are treated humanely and have basic amenities, as well as primary health care. While the facilities are Spartan, they meet the basic needs of all inmates.



Lee Chee Kwong,

Head of Public Affairs Branch,

Singapore Prison Service



Kudos to city council

Dear Editor: Sunnyvale's recently adopted budget brings good news. Our city, which has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions from city government facilities and operations 17 percent below 1990 levels, recently funded additional efficiency projects to further reduce our city government's greenhouse gas pollution - and save tens of thousands of tax dollars by doing so.

But that is not all. The Sunnyvale City Council also voted last week to fund its first sustainability coordinator to accelerate city efforts to protect the environment. And, the council funded a community carbon inventory to calculate the amount of global warming pollution emitted within city limits. The data generated by this baseline audit will enable the city to set meaningful greenhouse gas-reduction goals and develop a plan to meet them.

Congratulations to the Sunnyvale City Council and staff for acting with courage and vision to prioritize the health of our only planet, even in economically challenging times.

Barbara Fukumoto,

Sunnyvale Cool Cities Team