Letters: Jul. 5, 2004

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Reagan had warmth, wit and an uncanny ability to put people at ease, no matter their ideology. But aside from his charisma, I remember his meanspirited remarks about "welfare queens" and long-haired war protesters. Reagan's ardent anticommunism led the U.S. to support right-wing dictators in Latin America and elsewhere around the globe who routinely killed their own citizens. On Reagan's watch, our federal budget deficit ballooned out of control like never before in an orgy of fiscal irresponsibility. Even as we grieve for Reagan, we must remember that his presidency was an era of harm as well as charm. PETER LAUTZ San Diego

Reagan's Faith in Action

In "The Secrets Of Reagan's Success" [June 14], columnist Joe Klein was mistaken when he wrote that Reagan "never paid much more than lip service to the right-to-life movement." Reagan instituted the Mexico City policy, which prohibited foreign nongovernmental organizations that received U.S. funds from providing abortion, abortion-counseling referrals or related services and reversed the U.S. commitment to international family planning. Moreover, he cut off funding for fetal-tissue research because his supporters didn't approve of medical science using aborted fetuses. The irony is that such research might well have led to a cure for Alzheimer's disease had he let it go forward. JANET BRAZILL Colorado Springs, Colo.

Klein stated that "Reagan was a champion of the religious right, but rarely attended church." It was apparent to me that Reagan had a firm grounding in religious or spiritual faith. He had a relationship with God in his own way, and whether he attended church doesn't matter. America and the world were blessed to be granted the gift of Reagan's leadership at a time when we sorely needed it. DON STAFFIN Bridgewater, N.J.

Tenet Steps Down

"Out Of The Line Of Fire" [JUNE 14], about George Tenet's resignation as CIA director, reported on U.S. intelligence shortcomings before 9/11 and leading up to the Iraq war. A more recent issue is the torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners. Horrid acts performed by our lower-level troops and independent contractors have been exposed and appear to have been condoned if not ordered by the CIA. Could this embarrassing revelation have been the last straw for Tenet? JOHN N. SCHNEIDER Vernon, N.Y.

Tenet caved to the Bush Administration's push for war. His chummy relationship with President Bush is yet another example showing that the good-ole-boy network is alive and well in Washington. Odds are that the reports of the 9/11 investigations will highlight other problems created by this Administration's failure to create and sustain professional working relationships with those outside the circle of inbred ideological buddies. SALLY LANDES Loveland, Colo.

Intelligence can be described as hearing voices through the noise. At the best of times, it is a difficult and imprecise task. But when the noise is generated by the White House and the Pentagon and directed into the ears of the CIA, the task becomes impossible. ADI ARIELI Los Angeles

The Soldiers' Duty