I'm curious to know if Mike Walbert actually was at the discussion with David Halberstam ("Prize winner discusses Middle East," Oct. 2 article). I was and I find little similarity between what was discussed and the article. From the teaser on the front page, "Journalist speaks about Iraq," the topics of the discussion are misrepresented and taken out of context. Mr. Halberstam spoke about his career and experiences, and avoided saying anything about Iraq until he was continually pressured into making some kind of commentary. When he did comment on the Bush administration's policy, it was to say he was nervous over the rush to war based on his personal experience covering the Vietnam conflict.

It's interesting that in The Best and the Brightest, Mr. Halberstam writes that he and the other young reporters went to Vietnam expecting to cover a story on Americans "fighting the good fight" and instead found the glaring disconnect between what was happening in Vietnam and what the Saigon generals and diplomats were reporting to Washington. Among the interesting topics Mr. Halberstam actually did discuss were his belief that America is great because the common man is permitted to achieve his full potential here, and his statement on the current status of the civil-rights movement: "The law has done all it can; now the question is what are you going to do?"