Mideast Oil and U.S. Troops in Saudi Arabia

In response to “Better Reasons Get Better Support” (editorial, Nov. 17):

Let us not hold our collective breaths waiting for President Bush to come up with “convincing reasons” for our being in the Persian Gulf. The problem is that there are not any such reasons that would justify the slaughter of war. The truth is we wouldn’t be there had Bush and his predecessor reacted appropriately to the clear signs of danger for the past 15 years in our being dependent on Mideast oil.

President Bush is merely following the pattern in his life which disdains “the vision thing.” This is the same compulsive, impulsive man who selected a boy to be his vice president; the man who has yet to tell us the truth about his knowledge of and role in Iran-Contra. Are you serious in asking him for “convincing reasons” for his hasty overreactions in the gulf?

FRANK R. LEMON, Beaumont