Letters

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n noting that some officials see the Saudis as the root of the problem, Klein was right on the money — the Saudi money that supports the extremist Wahhabi sect and has enriched those who have helped Saudi Arabia. If the money that the Bush Administration has spent on Iraq had been invested in finding innovative sources of energy, the West could cut its dependence on the al-Saud family and reduce the funds available to finance terrorism — not to mention save the lives of young American service members.
ARTHUR LIEBER
Gland, Switzerland

The Demise of Dr. Atkins
Your article about Dr. Robert Atkins, creator of the high-protein, low-carbohydrate Atkins diet had the appalling title "Paging Dr. Fatkins?" [Feb. 23]. You noted that the medical examiner's report showed that Atkins was surprisingly hefty when he died last April, and you commented on the cruelty of the anti-fat bloggers who called him Dr. Fatkins. But what do you think you did to his memory and his family? No matter what you think of Atkins' ideas and diet, the man is deceased, and you certainly showed him no respect.
ELANA BERLINGER
East Windsor, N.J.

Dangerous Liaisons
After reading "Cuddle With Care," on the diseases people can get from their pets [Feb. 23], I have decided to get rid of my dog and cat. My whole neighborhood is doing the same thing. Actually, I am kidding. But articles like yours will unfortunately cause many people to react in this way. You advise owners to wash their hands after touching a pet. But how many people take the time to do that? Pretty few, I imagine. How many pets are going to lose their homes because of your story?
STEVE KLEIMAN
Granger, Ind.

Bush's Days in Uniform
It's senseless to bicker over whether young George W. Bush played hooky from his Air National Guard duties in 1972 [Feb. 23]. Who among us would want our youthful exploits examined with such critical 20/20 hindsight? What is of greater concern to me is that Bush, after scoring poorly on a pilot-aptitude test, leapfrogged over 500 men who were waiting in line for a coveted position in the Texas Guard. Sadly, a man with money, powerful connections and poor test scores cut in front of qualified men fairly waiting their turn.
DOUG MCCULLY
Claremont, Calif.

His three years as commander in chief and his victories in Afghanistan and Iraq show what President Bush has learned about leadership. There is no smoking gun in the story of his National Guard service. I don't question John Kerry's war record, but his Senate voting record over the past 20 years makes me happy he was not the person at the helm on 9/11.
KEVIN MCCANN
Maple Grove, Minn.

Military service creates an air of camaraderie, like friendship among college classmates. It is strange that only one person from the Alabama Guard remembers Bush. Either Bush was not seen much, or he didn't have any buddies. His defenders say his service record should be irrelevant if he is a good President and Commander in Chief. But would my company keep me if it found out I didn't go to the college I said I graduated from but instead only showed up for freshman orientation?
ADAM A. BROSTOW
Emmaus, Pa.

While I accept the explanation that Bush decided not to renew his flight physical because he was no longer flying the jet he had trained on, I think it is remarkable that he was able to make a decision that negatively affected his combat-readiness status. I served in the military, and I had no idea that I could have just decided to opt out of required training or physical exams.
JACK SLADE
Knoxville, Tenn.

What Makes a President?
Columnist Charles Krauthammer's claim in "Medals Don't Make a President" that President John F. Kennedy was responsible for getting the U.S. into the Vietnam War was way off target [Feb. 23]. Kennedy was seeking to de-escalate the conflict. And the implication that Bush is somehow better equipped than Kennedy was to lead the country into war is ridiculous. Let's compare 1,000 days of the Kennedy Administration with 1,000 days of Bush's. In his short time in office, Kennedy pursued nuclear-arms reduction, fought for civil rights and established the Peace Corps. In the same amount of time, Bush has run up a massive budget deficit, alienated most of the world and given tax cuts to the very rich. John F. Kennedy vs. George W. Bush? It's a no-brainer!
JAMES HICKEY
Denver

Kennedy inherited U.S. involvement in Vietnam from Dwight Eisenhower, a Republican, although the U.S. role in Vietnam actually began during the Truman Administration. At no point in the conflict did the U.S. manage to connect the dots: the North Vietnamese were fighting a nationalist war of independence as much as a war for communism. A war simply for communism might have been beatable, but a war for independence was not.
CHRIS ROWLEY
Ellenville, N.Y.