Letters

Al-

"If we keep our eyes and ears open, pay attention to and report suspicious activity, we can all play a part in fighting terrorism."
LYNETTE CARRINGTON
Gilbert, Ariz.

LATEST COVER STORY Mind & Body Happiness Jan. 17, 2004 Past Issues Tsunami Jan. 10, 2004 ----------------- Person of the Year Jan. 3, 2004 ----------------- Secrets of the Nativity Dec. 13, 2004 ----------------- The Stealth Killer Dec. 6, 2004 ----------------- Coolest Inventions Nov. 29, 2004 ----------------- Battle for Fallujah Nov. 22, 2004 ----------------- Four More Years Nov. 15, 2004 ----------------- The Joy Of Sox Nov. 8, 2004 ----------------- The Morning After Nov. 1, 2004 ----------------- The God Gene Oct. 25, 2004 ----------------- The Vote Battle Oct. 18, 2004 ----------------- Visions of Tomorrow Oct. 11, 2004 ----------------- The Tragedy of Sudan Oct. 4, 2004 ----------------- CBS Controversy Sept. 27, 2004 ----------------- America's Border Sept. 20, 2004 ----------------- Struggle Within Islam Sept. 13, 2004 ----------------- World of George Bush Sept. 6, 2004 -----------------   SPECIAL REPORTS  Coolest Video Games 2004  Coolest Inventions  Wireless Society  Cool Tech 2004 PHOTOS AND GRAPHICS  At The Epicenter  Paths to Pleasure  Quotes of the Week  This Week's Gadget  Cartoons of the Week More graphics >> More photos >> MORE STORIES Advisor: Rove Warrior The Bushes: Family Dynasty Klein: Benneton Ad Presidency More Stories >> CNN.com: Latest News

I was disappointed to see al-Qaeda's latest "threat" to the U.S. as TIME's cover story [Aug. 16]. It seems as though every time the government hiccups, the media jump in to play on America's paranoia about another terrorist strike. So the government is saying that al-Qaeda will attack, just like on the Fourth of July and this past New Year's and all last year and before that? I'm not holding my breath.
ALLAN WEIR
Nashville, Tenn.

President Bush is right on target. Terrorists are our biggest threat. Forget worrying about the economy. That won't matter if we allow terrorists to destroy our nation.
ROSEMARY STOCK
Strongsville, Ohio

Highly sensitive information about possible terrorist attacks, regardless of the public interest, should be revealed only on a need-to-know basis. And that need should be determined by the ability to do something about the threat.
BEN THOMPSON
Marietta, Pa.

Saddam Hussein was a very evil person, and I'm glad we forced him out of power. But shouldn't our focus be on the man who started it all? I can't figure out why we haven't captured Osama bin Laden long before now. We've been so involved with getting Iraq back on track that bin Laden and al-Qaeda are getting ready to attack us again. So once more we're all on pins and needles, because we don't know when or where or how.
PATRICIA JONES
Reston, Va.

Since the invasion of Iraq, there seem to be more terrorist cells. Anti-American sentiment has reached an all-time high around the world, and President Bush is largely responsible for that. I don't think creating hundreds of new terrorists every day is an effective policy for dealing with terrorism.
DOUGLAS E. MCCULLEY
Virginia Beach, Va.

How many times have we heard that al-Qaeda wants to pull off an attack in the U.S. before the elections in November? Terrorists carried out coordinated bombings in Madrid on March 11, and the Spanish candidate challenging the Prime Minister in the March 14 election — the candidate whom terrorists surely preferred — won. Ask yourself which candidate al-Qaeda wishes to become the next U.S. President — and why.
PHYLLIS M. RAMOS
Calumet, Mich.

I wish the media would just shut up! With your rants about even the remote possibility of bombings, you are doing exactly what the terrorists want you to do: instill uncertainty in American lives. Enough, already! The risk of attacks is a price we Americans must assume — and pay. We must respond to these risks with standard precautions and watchful waiting. Then, if the unthinkable occurs, we will deal with it. We should behave the way our law-enforcement and natural-disaster personnel do: quietly, efficiently — without alarming the public with color codes and "special reports."
TONY DIBIASIO
Surprise, Ariz.

The Center Cannot Hold?

In his column "America Divided? It's Only the Blabocrats" [Aug. 16], Joe Klein suggested that the great partisan divide in the U.S. is a "media-induced mirage" and that the populace in general is "far less vehement" than the "media yakkers" would have people believe. Klein was right on! The airwaves are full of venom from the far right and hatred from the far left — what Klein calls the media's Anger-Industrial Complex. Almost everyone I know is just trying to decide whether we are better off with an arrogant loner who says what he thinks and has created our antiterrorism protections, or with a more sophisticated, learned man who seems to be saying anything to get elected and is untested in the war on terrorism. Here in the center, we believe that both are good men who share similar views on many of the issues that concern us. Here in the center, we don't expect a President to agree with us on every issue. Here in the center, we see the differences between the two political parties and wish we could find a hybrid of them.
JIM FERRIS
Mesa, Ariz.