Editor's Note: Below is a comment from a supporter of Rev. Sun Myung Moon in response to our story, "Moon, North Korea & the Bushes":

Dear Editor:

I consider myself a member of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's movement, and have read Mr. Robert Perry's article on the relationship between Moon and North Korea with great interest. However, focusing on possible violations of a rarely used law that forbids financial transactions of some sort between American nationals or residents and some countries is rather disingenuous. The undoubted fact is that Moon's efforts in the early 1990s opened up to the rest of the world for the first time since the Korean War what was an incredibly closed and isolated country.

Moon's motivation, as best as I can discern it, and one consistent with the facts reported in Perry's article, was that he was interested in bringing about the unification of North and South Korea, a goal that many Koreans of both countries would applaud.

My understanding is that Moon's chief purpose in establishing the Washington Times was to promote the fall communism, under which Moon had suffered during the Korean War, and which he believed was responsible for much of the world's misery at that time. The Reagan administration could be characterized as anticommunist, and the Washington Times' support of Reagan can be seen as Moon's efforts in the direction of thwarting international communism.

Once the Berlin Wall came down, Moon pushed for reconcilliation while many conservatives were seeking retribution. His outreach to North Korea can be seen in this light.

The fact that the editorial policy of the Washington Times often seems at odds with Rev. Moon's own goals is a demonstration of that newspaper's independence. I do not consider this so-called independence a good thing, particularly when I sense that Rev. Moon is rather unhappy about the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, while it appears that the Washington Times supports it.

I quote from a speech delivered by Moon in March of 2006, where he speaks of the construction of a tunnel under the Bering Strait to promote world unity.

"Think of how much money the world is wasting on war. Humanity needs to realize that we are committing fearful sins in the presence of history and our descendants.

"Let us take an example. How much money has the United States spent on the war in Iraq during the past three years? It is approaching $200 billion. That budget would be more than enough to complete the Bering Strait project.

"In this age, war is a most pimitive and destructive means of resolving conflict, and will never lead to lasting peace. Now is the time, as the prophet Isaiah taught, to beat our swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks. Humankind should end the perverse cycle of war, which only sacrifices our children's lives and squanders astromomical sums of money."

Any conflict between these words and the editorial policy of the Washington Times can, in my opinion, be ascribed to the so-called "independence" of the Times.

Kindest regards,
Peter Duveen
Bridgeport, CT