LETTERS RETURN: Readers Debate Prospect of Another CIA Leak Investigation

By: E&P Staff Letters return today after taking a brief rest. If you missed us, send us a note sounding off about any of the latest media stories.

***

Latest Leak Investigation Opens 'Dangerous Territory'

Re: Another Leak Probe?

Amazing that the first public reaction from major Republican government officials regarding the outrageously frightening report that the U.S. has set up secret prisons around the world to hold and interrogate terrorist suspects, is not to investigate the claim...but to investigate the leak of that story to the intrepid reporter who covered the story.

Whatever a person's partisan politics are, and however fearful of our new terrorist enemy, we cannot forget what sets this country apart, historically, from every enemy we've ever faced. It is not our skating the thin edge of the law, but of standing firmly on moral and ethical standards of humanity for which all our wars, including the war on terror, have been fought. Our government has misled us into dangerous territory, a murky darkness where it is increasingly difficult to tell our so-called enemy, from ourselves.

Jules A. Levy
Studio City, Calif.

***

A congressional inquiry would become immediately politicized and therefore useless. A Justice Department probe, perhaps led by leak-fighter Special Counsel Fitzgerald, would be much more appropriate. The secret detention leak, which may have compromised America's fight against terrorism, is much more serious than the non-leak (Andrea Mitchell already knew) of the identity of one camera-loving Washington based desk-jockey. Why has the CIA and or White House not called for a Justice Department probe of this leak? It revealed that there are treacherous Aldrich Ames type moles working at the heart of the intelligence/foreign affairs bureaucracy.

John Treacy

***

We find out that the Bush administration has rented the Stalinist gulags and Hastert and Frist's greatest concern is who let the cat out of the bag? Have we no shame?

Dennis Jennings

***

What About Newspaper Penetration?

Your story about newspapers with circulation gains was interesting, but I don't think it told the whole story. Didn't the adult population in their circulation areas go up even more? If so, then even these newspapers lost penetration. I believe that in every U.S. market, without exception, net newspaper penetration has been dropping for the past several decades. That's why the newspaper industry's future is so grim even though profits today are high.

Paul Janensch
Associate Professor of Journalism
Quinnipiac University
Norwalk, Conn.

***

Duly Noted

Re: Grim FAS-FAX Includes Some Gainers, With Baton Rouge a Leader

Was curious why our flagship paper of Western Communications, Inc, The Bulletin, in Bend, Oregon was not included in your list of papers that grew?

In fact, we grew 7.6% daily, 2,064 copies to 29,308 daily and 1,567 or 5.2% on Sunday to 30,104.

I would assume based upon the article those figures should put us at or near the top of growth chart as far as percentages are concerned.

I will be curious to hear an explanation of how we were overlooked?

Thank you.

Keith L. Foutz
Circulation Director
The Bulletin
Bend, Ore.

***

Re: Military's Advice to Reporters: 2,000 Dead in Iraq 'Not a Milestone'

How dare Lt. Col. Steve Boylan say that the 2,000th death of Staff Sgt. George Alexander is not a milestone. It certainly is a milestone to his family, friends and to the American people. The needless death of every military person is a milestone in this fabricated war. Is Lt. Col. Boylan willing to give his life, and have it not considered any kind of a milestone? I doubt it.

Julie Sebenoler
Los Angeles, Calif.