Letter of the Day

from the young contributors board on the des moines register:

One has to wonder what offended the Bush administration so much about the recent report on efforts to track the financing of terrorists.

The administration has been clear that they are correctly trying to disrupt the financial activities of terrorists.

It would take a terrorist with a very limited view of American competence to assume the federal government is not monitoring certain financial transactions.

Meanwhile, the Brussels-based banking consortium assisting in the program, Swift, shows no sign of withdrawing its cooperation. Upon consideration, one almost has to wonder what "offends" the vice president so much.

It seems the administration is so used to embarrassing leaks, such as secret prisons in Eastern Europe or domestic eavesdropping without a warrant, that it is uncomfortable with a leak that shows some degree of competence.
— Zach Steele, Iowa City