Editor, Daily Nexus,

Not having anything intelligent to say, Ladan Moeenziai (Daily Nexus, “CIA Spies Persians With Its Blind Eye”, Jan.16) chose to run her mouth off in a rant. She berates “our nation’s intelligence” for their failure in regards to Sept. 11, yet later she damns current intelligence efforts as racist, and even McCarthyist. Ladan asks why the CIA would look to Iranian-Americans for intelligence, then provides the answer: because the CIA cannot do it itself.

What is wrong with recruiting Iranians who could? Is it not reasonable that the best people to recruit for intelligence operations in Iran would be Iranian? This is not racist or discriminatory; it is merely common sense. More so than recruiting Americans of Irish, or whatever other, descent.

Lastly, I am at odds with Ladan’s claim that this recruitment effort is “McCarthyism at its worst.” This claim is lazy and irresponsible. How do the CIA’s recruitment efforts mirror McCarthyism? McCarthyism was a witch hunt that cost jobs and ruined lives. The actions of the CIA are a far cry from that. In fact, the two are nowhere near comparison. Ladan’s effort to throw about words like “racist” and “McCarthyism” is not just lacking in integrity, but damn near laughable.

MATTHEW BAYLOT

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