Boot Decries Slur; Iraq Deal Goes to Insider

I will agree with Max Boot on one thing (Commentary, Feb. 19). Referring to the president or the vice president as a “chicken hawk” is uncalled for and disrespectful. However, he misses the point entirely. Republicans aren’t called chicken hawks because they lack military service; I don’t know anyone who thinks veteran status is required when one runs for public office. Democrats who honorably served in the military are tired of having their patriotism questioned every time they disagree with the administration on issues of defense or national security when those doing the questioning conveniently avoided the draft or never volunteered for service. The hypocrisy is astounding.

The Republicans opened this can of worms when they ran the attack ad comparing [Vietnam] veteran and triple amputee Sen. Max Cleland to Osama bin Laden. Don’t start complaining now just because your opposition has decided to hit back.

Frank Kuhn

Torrance

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As a member of the antiwar crowd, my problem with President Bush’s Vietnam-era service record is not that he didn’t show up for months at a time or used his father’s considerable political connections to avoid active service. It’s simply his lack of candor.

He didn’t want to get killed or injured in a senseless and unwinnable war. I know and respect a lot of people who are willing to admit they did whatever it took to stay out of Vietnam. Nothing I’ve seen from Bush leads me to believe he has the courage or moral integrity to admit he did whatever it took to stay out.

Dan Harrington

Northridge

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Re “Poland, Spain Up in Arms Over Loss of Iraq Contract,” Feb. 17: I mistakenly believed that the Iraq war was all about oil, but I was wrong; it is really about war profits. A major Iraqi arms contract being awarded to an inexperienced U.S. firm formed last May, Nour USA, owned by one of Ahmad Chalabi’s best buddies, is just another example of the corruption of the Bush administration. [Chalabi is a member of the Iraqi Governing Council who has had close connections to the Pentagon.] It is amazing that Nour USA could possibly win a contract worth more than $300 million.

It is highly understandable that Poland and Spain would be outraged over being underbid and “low-balled” by more than $200 million. The two nations don’t believe that it is even possible to make good on the contract at that price. Common sense will tell us that the contract will have to be adjusted. Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it? Sort of like Haliburton’s sweet little no-bid contract starting out at a few hundred million and well into the billions by now.

And we taxpayers are footing the bill for all of this corruption and war profiteering. Where is the outrage?

Patty Salinas

Helendale, Calif.