PUBLIC FORUM WHAT'S TO BLAME?

Re ``Bush was warned of possible attack'' (April 10):

OK, so President Bush received warnings about pending al-Qaida terrorist attacks. John Ashcroft knew, George Tenet knew, the FBI knew and Condoleezza Rice was warned coming into her job by the Clinton administration. She and the administration also received a briefing in August of 2001, containing a warning ``Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.'' That was followed by ``a warning that the FBI had detected domestic activity - consistent with preparation for hijackings.''

Does Rice, the president, or anyone in the administration, really have to accept any blame? To the best of our knowledge, nowhere in all those warnings, was a mention made of the World Trade Center, nor did the terrorists bother to file a flight plan.

- Jerold Drucker

Tarzana

'Gotcha' politics

Re ``Did Rice change any minds?'' (April 9):

It would appear that at least some of the Democrat members of the 9-11 panel were more interested in ``gotcha'' during the voluntary open testimony of Condoleeza Rice than in preventing future terrorist attacks.

It is no secret that, during an election year, they would love to place the blame for 9-11 squarely on the Bush administration.

Using the same logic, we then need to convene hearings here in Los Angeles to see how much knowledge our leaders have of the thousands of terrorists who operate here and regularly carry out terror attacks within the city. The terrorists I refer to are the thousands of violent gang members who regularly massacre innocent people and hold entire neighborhoods hostage.

- Bob McKay 

Van Nuys

Then, perhaps ...

Re ``Memo: al-Qaida in U.S.'' (April 11):

If Bush, Cheney and Rice had taken the information they had received from the CIA more seriously; if Bush, Cheney and Rice had sent the information they had received about possible bin Laden attacks in the U.S. to the FBI; if the FBI had then transmitted that information to its regional bureaus, then, perhaps, the whistle-blower FBI agent in Minnesota's report about some Saudis taking flying lessons that consisted of learning how to take off, fly but not land commercial jets would have received serious attention instead of being stone-walled ... and, then, perhaps 9-11 would not have happened.

- Jean Strauber

Encino

Everyone knew

The Democrats want to make an issue about al-Qaida being in America before 9-11. Every literate person already knew that al-Qaida was a worldwide organization of several thousand, including these disingenuous Democrats.

Everyone also knew that the same liberal Democrats would have screamed about the hijackers' civil rights if either Clinton or Bush had moved against them before the act. The sleazy dishonesty of that party nauseates me.

- Mike Nowland

Simi Valley 

George W. Nero

It's been reported that Bush has spent 233 days or 40 percent of his presidency on vacation - and in fact has been and will be on vacation for most of this month. After being told that Osama planned to attack the United States, Bush took off for the entire month of August 2001. He insists that the country is at war - why is he not now at the White House?

Forty-five Marines have died for him last week, thousands of Iraqis are on the march, and he's giving interviews to the Ladies Home Journal! Iraq is going up in flames, and George W. Nero is not only fiddling; he's not even around to watch.

- Jim Stillwell

Los Angeles

Don't need permission

I never knew the FBI, CRI and INS needed permission from the president before they could conduct an investigation or make an arrest when they perceived a threat to our country.

- Cellestine Hannemann

North Hills

Prevention preferable

I sincerely hope that the FBI has good information (I can't stand calling it ``intelligence'') on who the probable terrorists are in our midst. I also hope the FBI tracks these fanatics so they can be stopped before they commit another 9-11. Investigating a crime is a good thing; preventing it is much more preferable.

- Sol Taylor

Sherman Oaks

Understanding violence

Gerald L. Rowe states in ``Your Opinions'' (April 9) that ``These Iraqi people and their religious leaders only understand violence.'' Meanwhile, our compassionate and Christian society has delivered upon the Iraqis violence exponential to whatever they would or could ever give to us. What a mistake this war is.

- Kraig Lennon Kysar

Sherman Oaks

Wrong people testifying

The 9-11 hearing has become a disreputable political football. In fact, the wrong people are testifying. Where is the testimony of immigration and state department employees who issued visas and immigration papers to the hijackers? What about the airline agents who sold them the tickets? Let's hear from the airline security personnel who allowed them to board. When was the last time anyone saw Condoleezza Rice handing out boarding passes?

- Harry Nieves

Sylmar

Beyond amusement

It is beyond amusement how those that claim President Bush, upon reading the Presidential Daily Briefing titled ``Bin Laden Determined to Strike in the U.S.,'' should have alerted the public with all sorts of caution and warning flags, are also the very ones that laugh and taunt him and his administration every time they raise the Homeland Security's national alert notice from yellow to orange.

- Robert L. Rosebrock

Brentwood

Campaign advantage

Re ``View From the Valley'' (April 9):

Patrick O'Connor's depiction of Condoleezza Rice performing a ballet before a half-appreciative, half-disapproving 9-11 Commission is really quite humorous, particularly because the caption reads, ``Gracefully avoiding responsibility.''

O'Connor, you should be advised that most Americans now realize that it is the commission that is the real joke. It has evolved into nothing more than a partisan platform to be used for campaign advantage by each political party.

- Michael G. Miller

Los Angeles

Ike was right

When Dwight Eisenhower was president after World War II, he stated that the USA should be careful and not allow the military complex to become too huge because it could control the direction of the country. As our president, he was warning the nation.

Eisenhower's prophecy has been realized. Our President George W. Bush used our huge military complex to smite Iraq. This military action was like a man spanking a 6-year-old child because the child did something the parent had previously told him not to do. Iraq had no chance. Now, the man had not planned for any of the retaliations being done by the child and his friends. This Iraq ``war'' is a typical example of what Eisenhower predicted could happen.

- Victor Allstead

Woodland Hills

Provoking them

After reading the April 1 account of the grisly assault and mutilations of the Americans in Fallujah, I find it hard to believe that with more than 4,000 Marines stationed near Fallujah that Col. Michael Walker thought that if he did anything to retrieve four dead bodies, it would provoke them.

What was he thinking: that their minds were at peace? He should have gone in there, not asking any questions, and leveled the whole lot of them and not have worried if he had angered them. For taking no action at all, he should be court-martialed for failure to protect the respect due to the bodies.

- Al Ferraro

Northridge

Behind the door

Re ``Runaway pensions'' (April 4):

Wow. After having worked for the LAUSD for 28 years in a management position, I must have been hiding behind the door when big pensions were given out.

- Martha Ballardo

Montrose