Tape Puts Bin Laden Back in the News

Osama bin Laden makes a point: If the Middle East has no security for its people, how can we expect to be secure? If preemptive bombing is the new rule for the United States, why should we expect to be immune from the same? Having allowed our appointed president to approve torture, occupation and mindless “payback” to people disconnected to 9/11, we’ve opened up the gates of hell.

Ed Boswell

Long Beach

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Re “Nation’s Unchurched Doubled in Decade, Poll Finds,” Oct. 30: Perhaps this article belongs on the front page, next to the story on the latest video from a true believer: Bin Laden. We should be celebrating the fact that there’s less religious fervor in America. Religious fanatics brought us 9/11. The response of the religious simpleton in the White House: invade Iraq, one of the few secular dictatorships in the Middle East, and pave the way for the inevitable civil war between rival Muslim sects. Brilliant!

Jeff W. Lane

Los Angeles

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Re “Terrorist Threat Level Unchanged,” (Oct. 31): The fact that the terror threat level hasn’t changed after the Bin Laden video is crazy. The level has been changed in the past on tips of things such as sending anthrax in the mail and New Year’s celebration scares. Shouldn’t the threat level rise for something as serious as Bin Laden stating that if America doesn’t stop threatening the security of Muslims something may happen?

It seems as if security measures are focusing on the wrong things. What needs to happen? Does Bin Laden need to knock on the door of the White House? With terror alerts being heightened on mere tips, I think something such as Bin Laden’s own words should be taken a little more seriously.

Heather Hebron

Burbank

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Shame on Michael Ramirez and The Times! The despicable political cartoon on Oct. 30 depicting Osama bin Laden sporting a John Kerry campaign button has no place in our community’s paper.

Bin Laden is lower than pond scum and is trying to negatively influence our electoral process. It seems strange that, while the media shakes its head in disgust at the political divisiveness of this campaign (blue states versus red states), you lower your standards to allow this man to divide this country even more by insinuating that Democrats are somehow in bed with terrorists and thereby only Republicans can keep America safe.

Deborah Keith

Winnetka