RESPONSES to JDF

Subject: Bush helps rich cronies: I am offended that President Bush would dare to speak in the name of the American taxpayers when explaining why he wants the contracts to rebuild Iraq to go to his rich friends instead of to the lowest bidder He must think the American voter is a very stupid animal. Instead of expressing outage at Halliburton Co.'s overcharging for fuel contracts in Iraq, Bush has been busy devising rationales to give them more business. We expect better from a man who promised to restore integrity to the office. RB


Subject: Schizophrenic Policy: I am furious about President Bush's schizophrenic foreign policy, which endangers our troops in Iraq. He asks European and other traditional allies to provide assistance to the understaffed U.S. forces in Iraq and to forgive Iraq's debt at the same time he bans these same countries from bidding on Iraqi reconstruction contracts. Predictably, countries that might have helped us, such as Canada are alienated by this form of extortion. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz's justification that the ban "is necessary for the protection of the essential security interests of the United States" is preposterous. Our troops are being killed and maimed at a staggering rate (81 died in November alone) and need more international help. Diana