Monday, May 22, 2006 | 7:19 a.m.
The New York Times has admitted it published its story about the nation's highly classified wiretap system because it thought it had dug up evidence outweighing the Bush administration's plea not to publish it because it endangered national security. Times editor Bill Keller wrote a letter to the editor (published in the May 2 Wall Street Journal) telling why the Times published the story several months ago. Read and form your own opinion.
Keller wrote that the Times gave the Bush administration "abundant opportunities to explain why they felt our information should not be published." Then he wrote about how the Times made its decision: "We considered the evidence presented to us, agonized over it, delayed publication because of it. In the end their case did not stand up to the evidence our reporters amassed and we judged that the responsible course was to publish what we knew and let readers assess it themselves."
Outrageously reckless journalism! Keller and the Times betrayed their duty to American citizens. In one swoop, the Times decided its information was superior on publishing national security information, and readers should assess it all. This undermined our nation at war! What about the average citizen wanting such war tools to protect the nation and wanting it kept secret?
Freedom of the press is trumped by loyalty to our nation at war and protection of its people. The Times, recklessly giving voice to the leakers, betrayed that loyalty.
Paul L. Larsen, Las Vegas
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