New Intelligence Chief Causes Some Alarm

Re “The New Spy in Chief,” editorial, Feb. 18: Isn’t it ironic how The Times demurely backs the appointment of John D. Negroponte when, in fact, hackles should be raised from Bangor to Monterey. This man is a prime example of the good-old-boy network that surrounded presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Do we forget so quickly the disgraceful little war we waged against Nicaragua, and the pressure applied to neighboring Honduras by Negroponte to cave in and allow the country to be used as a staging area by the U.S.-fueled contras?

The more we allow President Bush’s extremism to go unchecked, the more we as citizens become part of the problem. Perhaps the benefit of this appointment is that no one really expects this new post of director of intelligence services to be able to accomplish much anyway. Can we manage to hold on until 2009?

Jeff Gershoff

Topanga

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I fear that Negroponte’s promotion means he could go from ambassador to Iraq to director of National (Cover-up of) Intelligence (on Iraq).

Richard M. Mathews

Northridge