Secrecy on terror suspects is troubling

Re “Bush Acknowledges Secret Jails,” Sept. 7

The one question every sober American should ask themselves is this: If secret CIA prisons are something we should be proud of, why did the Bush administration lie about them until now? One of the oldest strategies in the book is, when faced with having done something bad, brag about how good it really is. Having bought so much of the garbage President Bush and his team have foisted upon frightened Americans, one can only hope they are not gullible enough to buy this one too.

MICHAEL VALENTE

San Clemente

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So President Bush feels we must fight to preserve our freedoms -- in this case, the freedom to imprison people without charges, without an attorney, without a trial and without anyone knowing where they are. Thanks, but that’s one freedom I’m happy to give up.

BRIAN K. LOWE

Woodland Hills

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What does it say about a president when he seems concerned about the torture of prisoners only when his party’s political future is at stake?

DAVID SILVA

Riverside

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Re “Waging war, legally,” editorial, Sept. 7

This editorial properly emphasizes that, in our democracy, different people need to be involved in political and other large-scale decision-making. The same thing is true in trials, on a smaller scale.

So the proposition that evidence, from whatever source, is “reliable and probative” is not one that can be tested only by hearing from the prosecutor. Our standards of criminal justice allow the defense to argue that it is not, or that it needs to be viewed in the context of other evidence. None of that can happen if the defense doesn’t know what the evidence is, and the reliability and integrity of the proceeding will be commensurately undermined.

If the case against an individual is strong, the prosecution doesn’t need to hide it from the defense. Under any standard of due process that is remotely American, it can’t.

STUART MEIKLEJOHN

Ojai

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Re “ ‘They Are Still Trying to Kill Our People,’ ” excerpts from President Bush’s address, Sept. 7

So Bush says: “We will continue to bring the world’s most dangerous terrorists to justice.” If he speaks true, he should start with himself and his handlers. Attacking Iraq with no legitimate cause ensured a greater swell in the ranks of Muslim terrorists than Osama bin Laden could ever have prayed for.

C.M. HOUCK

Pasadena

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Bush’s definition of “terrorism” reminds me of President Clinton’s definition of “sex.”

EDITH ELBAUM

Marina del Rey