ajmitchell@watdaisy.UUCP (A. Jay Mitchell) (09/09/83)
Though I consider myself somewhat patriotic, I have a firm stand on what should have been done by the Russians in this circumstance. Because a previous incident in 1978 proved to center around spy cameras and other equipment on board a civilian plane, one must consider that possibility here also. Dont misunderstand, I dont think what the Russians did was right! They should have attempted to escort the plane out of restricted air space or forced it to land first. BUT, IF this did not work, IF the plane DID ignore warning signals, and IF the russians expected spy equipment on board, then I (unfortunately) believe that they have the right to keep their military secrets. We have that same right and shouldn't be so liberal in allowing Cuban, Czech, and Russian planes to fly over sensitive military bases with not so much as a warning as is done on a regular basis. The point I am trying to make (I think) is that no government, including the U.S. should endanger civilian lives with covert activities. These operations, perhaps necessary to national security, should be conducted solely by the military. The civilians who died in 1978 and perhaps now in 1983, may have done so because of the U.S.'s inabilty to play the game by the rules. I'm ashamed.