To the editor:

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who chairs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, appears to want to further slow down investigations into whether President Bush lied to Congress and the American people about pre-war intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war. This inquiry had dragged on so slowly (for more than two years) that last November, Democrats forced the Senate into an extraordinary closed-door session. Roberts promised to speed up the probe, but now seems to want to wait till after the critical congressional elections in November.

Before the 2004 presidential elections, Roberts impeded investigations into pre-war intelligence until (supposedly) afterwards. With President Bush’s approval ratings now at 32 percent and Republicans in danger of losing the House and Senate, Sen. Roberts seems to be coming to the rescue again.

Remember, the Downing Street minutes and many other reputable sources (high government officials and high ranking officers of the armed services and intelligence departments) are on record as stating that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and that Iraq posed no threat to our national interest. Iraq DOES happen to have lots of oil.

What is Bush so afraid of? What will come out if there is a true investigation of pre-war intelligence? If anyone has taken my country into an unnecessary war in my name, am I alone in wanting to know about it? Sen. Roberts, do your job, do it honestly, do it now or resign!

Daniel Patrick Schamle,

Lawrence