Remarkable what Rae forgot to say

Re A fraught but worthy mission Opinion, Nov. 28. Bob Rae is a constitutionalist and a lawyer having considerable familiarity with the debates within the present Iraqi political elite about governmental structure and policies. But it is quite remarkable that he could discuss these matters so admirably and avoid any mention of the power of the United States to direct those debates, and their outcome. Nor could it have been unintentional.

His failure to mention the fact that the interim constitution permits the ‘‘government” to hand over the oil fields to American and other foreign oil companies is also remarkable. Perhaps being “embedded” has its disadvantages as well as advantages for foreign observers. David Wurfel, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Windsor, Ont.