Cheney and Russia
"To the Editor:
Re ''Strong Rebuke for the Kremlin From Cheney'' (front page, May 5):
Vice President Dick Cheney's criticisms of Russia, delivered in a speech in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Thursday, were further signs of his lack of reflection and his arrogance.
Mr. Cheney castigated Russia for its poor performance on protecting the rights of its citizens (''the government has unfairly and improperly restricted the rights of her people'') and for using its natural resources as a battering ram (''no legitimate interest is served when oil and gas become tools of intimidation or blackmail'').
He also warned that Russia runs the risk of alienating allies (''other actions by the Russian government have been counterproductive, and could begin to affect relations with other countries'').
He should realize that if he were to replace his references to Russia with the words ''Bush administration,'' he would paint a powerful and accurate portrait of the sorry state of affairs in the United States.
Steven Kolpan  West Hurley, N.Y., May 5, 2006"