The war in Libya can create "a new Iraq on the Mediterranean coasts"

(See Update below…) In response to the International Herald Tribune article on Bernard-Henri Lévy's view on and role in the conflict against Muammar el-Qaddafi, Umberto Eco (who was recently in Paris for the Salon du Livre) responds from Milan:

I totally disagree with the French writer Bernard-Henri Lévy. The war in Libya is a terrible mistake.

The situation in Libya now is catastrophic and the war is a real danger for the European economy and can increase the risk of terrorist attacks in Western countries. This war can create a new Iraq on the Mediterranean coasts. This war is stupid and dangerous for all.

Note that each writer happens to be reflecting the attitude of his respective government (or vice-versa)…

Update: Turns out that the Umberto Eco letter is a hoax:

In the newspaper of April 6, the International Herald Tribune published a letter over the name of the writer Umberto Eco, criticizing the military actions in Libya. This letter was a hoax and should not have been published. We take efforts to verify the authenticity of every letter we publish. In this case, however, we failed to contact Mr. Eco for confirmation. We have expressed our regret to him, and we apologize to our readers.