This letter is in response to Nicholas Kramer’s letter to the editor “A story for the anti-war protestors,” (Nov. 1). To compare Saddam Hussein to Adolf Hitler, though a very pretty piece of propaganda, is misleading.

Iraq in 2002 is not Germany in 1939. Hitler’s Germany had the strongest industrial base in Europe. Relying on the reluctance of the other European powers to start another world war, Hitler built the strongest army in the world.

He also used this reluctance to annex Austria and Czechoslovakia without any opposition.

When war did begin, he used tactics far superior to his opponents’ to obtain staggering early victories.

Hussein’s Iraq has an industrial base smaller than many of its neighbors’ and is dwarfed by that of the United States. Sanctions have decreased Hussein’s ability to rebuild his military, so it too is outmatched by Iran’s or Israel’s.

When he attempted to annex Kuwait, he was crushed by the elder Bush. His tactics and military technology are well behind the times.

The big picture is that we cannot use heavy-handed tactics out of fear; these are the tactics that have alienated the Arab world. Only reasoned, nonmilitary actions, such as sending the weapons inspectors back in, will be able to create peace in the region.