Kyle Miller really hit the nail on the head (Friday’s “Giuliani details 12 commitments”) when he characterized Rudy Giuliani’s national defense strategy as “offensive.” Anyone who knows anything about the history of this country’s foreign policy of intervention should take offense at Giuliani claiming “we are safer when we are on the offense.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

Since 1953, when our CIA overthrew the shah of Iran, our neoconservative foreign policy of intervention and nation-building has led to a monumental list of failures – most recently in Iraq. After the May 15 Republican Debate in Columbia, S.C., Congressman Ron Paul, R-Texas, sent Giuliani a reading list that included the 9/11 Commission’s report and “Imperial Hubris” by Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA’s bin Laden unit. Six months later, Giuliani has apparently not completed his reading assignment. Thus, Giuliani earns failing marks for his offensive defense strategy.

Bob Farnham

Graduate Student

Computer Engineering