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To the Editor: 

For some time, the public has been treated to color-coded warnings about possible terrorist acts, none of which materialized. No doubt many people’s anxiety, if not even paranoia, was increased by such empty warnings, because they could personally do nothing about them and could only rely on the government to protect them.  

It now turned out that the government and Mr. Bush were warned about a non-specific plan of Bin Laden's to stage an airplane hijacking, a news that reached Mr. Bush in August 2001, while he was on vacation in Texas, and that was not communicated to the public. People are incensed about this, and security Advisor Candy Rice was not specific enough to bother the public and possibly cause harm to the airlines if people canceled flights they had planned.  

In later broadcasts, surviving family members of Sept. 11 victims expressed anger and disappointment to have learned that the income the airline companies had a higher priority than the lives of passengers.  

Dr. Max Alfert 

Albany