THE anti nuclear weapon brigade are totally wrong.

The idea is not to use them, but as a second strike weapon, they are designed to discourage anyone attacking us, since we will be able to deliver the ultimate response, they are a vital part of our defences.

One can argue as to which would be the most cost effective delivery system, but not the basic principal. If the nuclear disarmament people were looking at the news in depth, they would know that Putin is threatening to use nuclear weapons if NATO was to interfere in his ambitions in the old USSR but now independent states. There is one European state which voluntarily gave up its nuclear weapons and that is the Ukraine who had former Russian weapons under their control when they became independent with boundaries agreed by the Russians. Do you really think a Putin lead Russia would have invaded if they still had their weapons, I think not, nor will the Iranians attack Israel as they have nuclear weapons, and this is why the USA will not move against North Korea as they have weapons of mass destruction, yes it may be a balance of fear but that is the way the world has always been. The basic fact is that they have been invented so cannot be uninvented and any average physics graduate could produce a nuclear bomb, all they need is a supply of fission material. Do they think Hitler would not have used them if he had got there first, of course he would, but he did not use chemical weapons as he was told we would reply with the same, in other words have a deterrent bit makes potential military aggressors think again, that is what it is all about and we must maintain our ability for total defence.

M G Langdon

Tonge Moor