Bin Laden is dead
Why is a respected publication such as The Seattle Times taking seriously allegations that Osama bin Laden is still releasing audiotapes [“Bin Laden takes credit for plot,” News, Jan. 25]?
Bin Laden has been dead since December 2003, as evidenced by the funeral held for him, his lack of credible public appearances since then and the obvious forgeries of video and audiotapes since that year — along with other evidence of his death.
It is not feasible that a man near death from kidney failure could survive for so many years without technologically advanced health facilities. It is easy to fake audiotapes these days using voice sampling and the tone and message of the audiotapes changed drastically after bin Laden’s death in 2003, strongly suggesting that someone was forging them.
— Roger Burton, Bothell
Don’t try suspected terrorists in court
It disgusts me and my family to hear about Obama’s plan to try these terrorists in federal court [“Bomb-plot interrogation fuels debate on terrorism suspects,” News, Jan. 24]. They are terrorists as he finally mentioned; They should be interrogated and then put to death.
Provide them with any type of a weapon and they will take your life immediately. All the while he is sending bombs onto suspected terrorists in Afghanistan.
Why don’t we arrest them first and provide them with a lawyer and a jury of their peers. We are taking a known terrorist into a civilian courtroom and killing other suspected terrorists. Under the Obama administration’s theory wouldn’t that make the administration the murderers? Or am I the murderer when I fight over there to keep you safe?
— Dustin Whitford, Monroe
Appalled by accusations thrown at Obama
The stories I hear on the news these days — primarily those by the right wing aimed at undermining the Obama presidency — are appalling.
We Americans are expected to forget some very important facts, such as the fact that 9/11 happened on Bush’s watch. And on the heels of that fact, the Bush administration had a whole lot of intelligence suggesting that such a terrorist act would be attempted.
We can, of course, follow that up with the fact that the Bush administration seemed to do everything it could to make sure bin Laden would not be captured.
And now we’re supposed to believe the fiction that Dick Cheney is peddling about how the Bush administration made us safer? If it wasn’t so tragic, it would be hilarious.
— David McKenzie, Federal Way