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U.S. Intelligence on Iran
Joe Klein's article about the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report on the Iranian nuclear program and President George W. Bush's response to it was quite disturbing [Dec. 17]. Before the NIE findings, how close did Bush push us into yet another military engagement? When Bush talks about winning in Iraq, what is it that we will have won? Will it be worth our military losses of more than 3,800 Americans killed and thousands more maimed or mentally affected? The NIE report is a reminder of Bush's disconnect with the reality that we Americans are forced to live with.
Phil Wilt,
Van Nuys, Calif.

I don't think all the republican candidates "had noisily rattled sabers about Iran." I can't even begin to imagine Ron Paul wanting to go to war with Iran. He didn't even want to go to war with Iraq. You did a great disservice to Paul by using such a blanket statement.
Scott Spencer,
Hampton, Va.

With the American public as his audience, Bush regularly takes center stage to perform well-rehearsed and accomplished lies. His latest tour de force? Because of Iran's supposed continuous pursuit of nuclear weapons, only an aggressive foreign policy can prevent World War III. When the U.S. intelligence community reports that Iran halted its nuclear program in 2003, it shares the stage with the President. Do we applaud fabrications or facts?
D. Kent Lloyd,
Gladstone, Ore.

Thanks to Klein for his article's poetic conclusion. Along with Joe Biden's assessment of Bush as possibly "one of the most incompetent Presidents in modern American history," the truth that many of us have known finally wins out. So much for legacy.
Dean Pappas,
Salt Lake City

Klein's cover story was very dangerous and misleading. No matter what the latest conclusion is from some of the government's analysts, the President of Iran has threatened a U.S. ally with extinction. It is a suicidal ideation to believe that he is not one of the most dangerous people on the planet. When Iran becomes a greater threat, perhaps more Americans will finally understand that his pockets may have been empty, but not his armory.
Silas Mariano,
Oceanside, Calif.

Why the excitement over the latest NIE report? Since Bush hasn't regarded intelligence in the past, why should he change now?
Henry Pennymon,
Orlando, Fla.

Since Iran has demonstrated its contempt for international nuclear requirements and the potential to arm itself as a significant threat to the rest of the world, I would feel a lot safer with a policy that denies Iran any nuclear capabilities. I hope the price we pay later for letting Iran off the hook will not be too high.
Rick Donald,
Portland, Me.

Should We Stay Firm on Iran?
Charles Krauthammer's viewpoint "Keep Up the Pressure" was a balanced response to Joe Klein's article [Dec. 17]. The problem I have with the whole debate is that everyone looks at Iran's approach to nuclear-weapons development from a traditional-warfare point of view. Think of the disruption a well-placed bomb could cause if it were set off in key strategic locations, like midtown Manhattan and outside the Capitol. I would be more concerned with the enrichment program than with the weaponization or delivery-systems side. Developing systems to detect and track this material would be my priority.
Tom Ockuly,
Glenwood, Md.

In Denial About Immigration?
Michael Kinsley's article on immigration is enlightening, but it doesn't address the core problem: What should we do with the millions of illegal immigrants who are already in our country [Dec. 17]? It would be easy to think that we could wipe the slate clean, send everyone home, establish a threshold for the number of immigrants we want and create an orderly process for admission. Obviously, this will never happen. Why not admit that allowing illegal immigrants to enter the U.S. provides cheap labor to fuel our country's economic growth? Illegal immigrants are here because we needed them — and we probably still do. We should stop the political posturing, face reality and legalize their status.
Richard Slusky,
Windsor, Vt.

Hardworking Immigrants want only what our forefathers wanted: a chance to work and educate their children like everyone else. But they also want ballots and public signs in Spanish and English. They want bilingual education in schools. They want welfare benefits even though some of their earnings go back home to provide the second largest source of income in Mexico.
Pat Burke,
Richardson, Texas

Kinsley's perspective — that the debate is not about illegal immigration but about immigration — might be accurate. But the negative impact of millions of immigrants on our crowded schools, strained social services and insufficient infrastructure is real and shows that we already have too many immigrants in the country. Regarding his assertion that illegal immigrants do our dirty work, there are plenty of legal residents who would take those jobs if not for illegal immigrants who are willing to work for almost nothing.
Lorenzo Fernandez,
Boca Raton, Fla.

The New Baby Boom
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen's "The More The Merrier" brought back memories of growing up as the oldest of seven children [Dec. 17]. Every summer my family would pile into our Ford station wagon for a trip back to Pennsylvania to visit the grandparents. It was guaranteed to be a hot, noisy, cramped trip. But watching drivers' mouths move as they counted each one of us packed into that car made it fun. We often thought of placing a sign on the window that said, YEP, THERE'S NINE OF US IN HERE! The size of my family never failed to elicit a reaction from passersby.
Ginny Chiapel,
Plantation, Fla.

Your article asks what the cause of the bigger-families phenomenon might be. The answer is simple and relates to a basic aspect of of human nature. In the U.S. and here in Australia, the rich are anxious to maintain their position in society and are worried about being outnumbered by groups viewed as beneath them. This desire may be subconscious, but they feel they have much to lose unless they maintain the status quo.
Dr. Rebecca Fanany,
Vermont South, Vic.

Have these people no understanding of the negative effects of having so many children? Our planet is choking to death because it's overburdened by people. One Western child uses 30 times the resources a child born in a Third World country does. If wealthy people are going to have larger families, they should be taxed accordingly.
Jo Nol,
West Simsbury, Conn.