U.N. Inspection of Iraqi Records

Pardon me if I chuckle when I hear President Bush decry the perfidy of Saddam Hussein, who had the gall to refuse to admit United Nations inspection teams to the Iraqi Agriculture Ministry, which “Western officials believe has become a repository for nuclear, chemical and biological warfare documents” (July 23).

Does anyone seriously believe that if a U.N. team showed up on the steps of the Pentagon demanding to inspect the “documents” therein in an effort to gain information on U.S. nuclear, chemical and biological weapons that our leader would kindly let them in? Doubtful. He would be more likely to kidnap them and try them for “crimes against national sovereignty,” launch an air strike against the U.N. building, or declare martial law.

MATTHEW CLARK

San Diego