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Your article about the 17 November group's terrorist activities in Greece [WORLD, Aug. 14] gave undeserved space to critics who accuse the Greek government of affording protection to these criminals. Critics have failed to produce credible evidence for their unsupported and thus irresponsible accusations. Greek police have worked for many years to track down terrorists and bring them to justice. Those efforts have recently been intensified in collaboration with the FBI and Scotland Yard. The government of Greece has also increased the reward for information leading to the dismantling of the 17 November group to $4.25 million. It has established hot lines through which individuals can anonymously pass on information about terrorist activities and has introduced a witness-protection program to help convict terrorists. The Greek government has given the highest priority to fighting terrorism. ALEXANDER PHILON Ambassador of Greece to the U.S. Washington
Greece and the U.S. have lost great men to the unfair, cowardly attacks of terrorists over the past 25 years. And it is true that the police and various government officials have done little about it. But your reporter's hostile approach renders your point invalid. After all, Greece is a lot safer than the U.S. Innocent civilians are not under threat from 17 November attacks. In the U.S. one lives with a constant death threat from kids carrying deadly weapons, not to mention the country's alarming crime rates. SPYROS MICHAS Athens
Political Spackle
How interesting that both presidential candidates selected running mates who are the equivalent of political spackle [CAMPAIGN 2000, Aug. 14]. George W. Bush chose someone to fill in the gaps in his intellect, while Al Gore selected someone to smooth over the holes in his party's morality. Unfortunately, the choices for President still remain equally poor. This is the saddest fact of all: in this country of 275 million-plus people, Bush and Gore are the two best men their respective parties can offer voters. Can that really be true? MICHAEL WAGMAN Hidden Hills, Calif.
A Mirror of Our Times
Note to George Dubya: so you think voters aren't smart enough to have got it right when they voted for Bill Clinton [CAMPAIGN 2000, Aug. 14]? Face it: Clinton may not be much of a man, but he's a near perfect politician. American voters probably think they can't have one without the other. With the peace and prosperity we enjoy, Clinton is likely to be remembered as a fine President, victimized by our cultural obsession with celebrity scandal while being its ideal representative. He's the mirror of our times, the quintessential baby-boomer American--lofty ideals, a generous heart but no self-restraint. History could very well love him. HELEN STUTCHBURY San Diego
Smoothing Those Wrinkles
TIME should be credited for demystifying the antiwrinkle potential of today's nonprescription skin creams [BUSINESS, Aug. 14]. Your outside laboratory's independent analysis and the companies' responses to them were very revealing. We all recognize that in the end, there is significant subjectivity to the user's perception of success. Charles Revson, the legendary founder of Revlon, was probably quite right when he proclaimed, "We sell hope in a jar." ROBERT KOTLER, M.D. UCLA Medical Center West Los Angeles
Bring Back the Crossword