Bush’s Africa Trip Elbows Aside Questions on Iraq

Re “Bush Denounces Bigotry at Storied Island of Slave Trade,” July 9: President Bush strongly condemns slavery? Well, that’s good news, isn’t it? With an administration that seems determined to gut every measure that has made this a better country (Head Start being the latest victim: “Bush Pushes State-Run Head Start Plan,” July 8), it’s comforting to know that the Emancipation Proclamation is safe -- at least for now.

Michael Bourdaghs

Valley Glen

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Is your front-page story on Bush’s speech in Senegal really more important news than “9/11 Attack Investigators Complain About Hindrances,” which is buried on Page A14? And where is the analysis of the White House’s confirmation that statements made in the State of the Union address were false and under question by high-level analysts long before the speech was given? On A8.

When are you going to start asking the question on the minds of a large part of the population? What did the president know, when did he know it and if he did not know it, why not?

Friederich Koenig

Culver City

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I have been waiting for the movers and shakers on the international, civil and human rights playing field to step forward and resolve the Liberian problems. Fortunately, we have a leadership that is responsive to the mandate of Americans and is responding to international needs beyond throwing tax dollars at the problem.

Once again, America has awakened and taken its place on the global scene. We will continue to respond to those who seek our support in throwing off the yokes of oppression and unchecked violence. Maybe there will be another terrorist hostage scenario in which the good Democrat demigods can interact with the terrorists as equals, but they’ll never be soiled by involvement in correcting problems that affect millions who do not benefit their agendas.

Dave Lordan

Huntington Beach

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Re “Bush Turns His Attention to Africa,” July 8: In view of the consequences of President Bush’s attention to Afghanistan and Iraq, one can only feel pity for those folks in Africa.

Harold D. Watkins

Studio City

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Re “White House on Defensive Over Intelligence,” July 9: The State of the Union address is probably the most crafted speech given by a president. It has to be prepared months in advance, and items certainly must be checked and rechecked. To say that the Bush administration was not aware that the Niger information was inaccurate is ludicrous. Either Bush lied, we have the Three Stooges running the main intelligence agencies or we have a very inept Cabinet staff advising the president.

Take your pick; the people lose under any one of the three.

Robert Pisapia

Westlake Village

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I have searched the Internet for weeks to find information on the source of the Niger-Iraq uranium transfer document. Am I crazy or just unpatriotic to want to know who forged this document and why?

Please use your investigative reporters to help answer this question. I simply cannot believe that the average American doesn’t want to know why our brave young men are being slaughtered in a faraway land. I lost 18 good friends to the Gulf of Tonkin-Vietnam fiasco.

Let’s get it out now, if this is just another political, military and industrial-capitalist war. Twelve years is too long to wait to learn the truth this time around.

Norman M. Pate

Chatsworth

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Continuing Robert Scheer’s Nixon analogy (Commentary, July 8), I wonder how soon it will be before Bush looks into a camera lens and tells the country: “I am not a liar.”

Robert McKean

Newbury Park