LETTERS.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(Letter to the Editor)

The Church Chicken

Just as coaches watch films to see what went right or wrong, our nation needs to be made aware that the intelligence failures noted in "Bigger Than Iraq" (Editorial, Friday) began with the infamous Church Commission report of the 1970s.

The late Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho, was responsible for labeling HUMINT, the paying for and usage of knowledge from people on the ground around the world, as unsavory. He condemned these sources as, in effect, beneath us, dirty. This upset U.S. intelligence gathering efforts. The chicken has come home to roost.

James G. Winn, Lawrence, Kan.

The Benefits Of Exporting Jobs

Right on. "Exploitation Or Opportunity? World's Poor Need To Work" (Viewpoint, Thursday) expressed what I inherently knew; thanks for expressing the conclusion so cogently. As an acquaintance of someone whose company has received criticism for using Third World labor, I feel it would have been more effective if written several years sooner.

As Americans, few of us have any idea how difficult life really is in most of the nations of this world. Labor sent overseas not only helps the poorer countries, but it also helps keep costs down for U.S. consumers. This is one column I will save to pass along to my friends.