IN THE NEWS: Boycott of Beijing Olympics: Will the threat work?

In response to John Cooley's recent Opinion piece on why Olympic boycotts are a bad idea: The piece makes a strong case as to why past boycotts have failed. While good people can disagree as to the strategic value of such an effort, what is clear is that the people of Darfur need action now – they cannot wait until the summer. There is no excuse for delaying United States action on Darfur until the Beijing Olympics in August.

Americans who care about the plight of innocent Darfuris must urge George W. Bush to immediately use the diplomatic might of the US to help end the killing.

Without question, China holds the key to a change in Sudanese policy.

If President Bush can cajole China into acting responsibly vis-à-vis Darfur, perhaps the Olympics can open with hope rather than under a cloud.

Raj Purohit
Bethesda, Md.

Mr. Purohit is the Interim Director of Citizens for Global Solutions, a foreign policy advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.