READERS RESPOND

David Lansing’s long diatribe in the Pilot (“Chris Cox’s sound bites

need to be reined in,” Sept. 28) against Rep. Christopher Cox’s apt

warning regarding the threat of Communist China to our national security

deserves an answer.

How could anyone see and hear the present congressional investigation

of the charges against Wen Ho Lee and presume that he was not guilty of

all charges against him?

For heaven’s sake, he confessed to feloniously downloading volume

after volume of the most highly classified and detailed information

concerning our country’s critical defense.

Furthermore, the downloading took an incredible number of hours of

surreptitious effort with Lee working in secrecy even at 3 a.m. on

Christmas Eve. Why? What was his intent? What actually happened to the

dangerous material? Mere hi jinx? Hardly.

As for those charges the government chooses not to bring to one trial,

it may have no other immediate choice considering that such proceedings

would further risk our national security -- such a choice being the

better part of valor.

So he goes free -- but under a serious and undeserved cloud -- and

lucky he is to be living in the United States. In a number of countries

including China, he would have been dealt with differently and summarily

and much more harshly as befits the crime.

As Janet Reno said, he’s no hero on this one. Cox is.

REBA WILLIAMS

Newport Beach

I’m responding to the letter to the editor by David Lansing. It seems

that Lansing is obviously a liberal Democrat taking pot shots at our

congressman, Chris Cox.

If he’d really take a look at the whole Chinese mess and what the

judge is saying, he was blaming our presidential leadership.

It was Janet Reno and others who took care of this. It was not Chris

Cox. Chris Cox’s report, whereas it was good and was sound, you could see

there are problems there. Obviously, the gentleman from Livermore

National Laboratory was saying “hey, it’s OK.” But it wasn’t and Lansing

should get off his high horse.

We have enough Democrat and Republican congressmen and senators. We

need more U.S. congressmen and senators.

DAVID JENKINS

Newport Beach