Israel

Now that Israel has been completely vindicated of the charge that it sold antimissile technology to China (April 3), where is the apology from the Bush Administration for the false accusation?

State Department spokeswomen Margaret Tutwiler is quoted: “. . . the U.S. government does not owe Israel an apology for the Patriot flap because the Administration had nothing to do with leaking the intelligence reports.” But, the State Department ordered, directed and held those reports, so the “leak” had to originate there someplace!

This whole deceptive episode appears to be another example of the Bush/Baker Israel-bashing that has been so prevalent lately. Just another illustration of the U.S. government’s pro-Arab bias and belief by President Bush that attacking Israel is now politically expedient in his craving for reelection.

IRVING E. FRIEDMAN, Laguna Niguel