U.S. Now Stoops to Al Qaeda’s Level

Re “U.S. Enters a Legal Gray Zone,” Nov. 5: It now appears that we have a new terrorist to add to the list along with Osama bin Laden, and that is President Bush himself. The fact that Bush allowed the CIA to kill suspected Al Qaeda members -- who were only suspects, who might have been enemies of the U.S. -- brings up some important questions: Can we now assassinate Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro and the heads of other governments, such as North Korea, that we define as enemies of the U.S.? Does it make the CIA an international terrorist organization whose members could be subject to international law and be charged with war crimes?

As M. Cherif Bassiouni, professor of international law, was quoted as saying, “It suddenly puts governments at the same level as terrorists.”

I now fear President Bush as much as I do Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. I believe that Bush’s new, reckless policy can only make the U.S. even more vulnerable to further terrorist attacks.

Richard H. Smith

Burbank

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There was a fly-by shooting, believed to be gang-related. The notorious Northside Yankees, in retaliation for previous fly-by crashes in New York and D.C., shot down Yemeni Bloods packing and cruising. It is believed that it was an arms deal gone bad.

Witnesses were afraid to come forward and identify assailants for fear of retaliation. A spokesman for the Yanks (Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld) said, “So it would be a very good thing if he were out of business.”

Mark A. Leon

Pasadena

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The United States is a democracy based on the rule of law. Every time we break or bend the law in our war on terrorism, the terrorists win a battle. After recent events like the assassinations in Yemen, I am afraid they are close to winning the war.

Terrence Luke Johnson

Los Angeles