A recent CMAJ editorial1 about the war in Iraq addresses some humanitarian concerns but fails to suggest how to deal with a repressive regime that caused the loss of a million lives during the war with Iran, gassed and killed thousands of its own citizens for alleged dissension, proved impervious to sanctions (its leaders luxuriating in palaces outfitted with gold-plated bathroom fixtures) and refused attempts to peacefully resolve the situation. While some of the unbalanced views on the war that have been presented2 can be excused on the basis of youth, the absence of an even-handed approach in an editorial of a scientific journal is regrettable.
Emile Berger Neurosurgeon Montréal, Que.