Why is President Bush giving former CIA director George Tenet a medal? Certainly not for preventing 9/11. And certainly not for getting it right on Iraq ("Bush honors 3 players key to Iraq Policy," News).

Only one reason is left: Bush is rewarding loyalty. Tenet did not publicly object to Bush's case for war, despite serious doubts within his agency about whether Iraq was a threat. Bush's message to other subordinates: The way to get ahead is not to be right, but to be loyal. That's the same message Saddam Hussein gave his underlings. Bush should know better.

Ilya Shlyakhter

Franklin Park, New Jersey.