Conclusions from McMaster's peace conference “ludicrous and bizarre”

I was dismayed to read about the results of a recent “conference” at McMaster University.¹ It is frustrating to see these interest groups of self-declared experts seek respectability and appeal by purporting to be participants in a conference on “Peace Through Health” at which conflicting opinions and vigorous debate appear to have been nonexistent. Their conclusions, that terrorist attacks against nations are merely crimes and that simple arrests and trials are sufficient, are both ludicrous and bizarre.

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks amounted to far more than mass murder. They were attacks not only on groups of people but indeed on an entire nation, and they followed recent attacks on American facilities in Africa and the Middle East. Such repeated deliberate attacks on a nation by an identifiable group clearly constitute acts of war. The US response is justifiable not only on moral grounds but also because it is a responsible means of self-defence. The suggestion that the terrorist suspects be arrested through negotiation is laughable.

Conference organizers claimed that the “real cure is to stop the violence.” This is precisely the reason for the organized campaign against al-Qaeda. Ridding the world of the scourge of terrorism is a noble and achievable goal, and Canadians should be proud to be part of this effort.

I hope that the new Peace Through Health Department at McMaster University does not become a beacon for the nonsense concluded at this conference, but instead seeks real understanding and learned discussion of the issues at hand.

Jeff Kolbasnik Division of General Surgery Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ont.