I HAVE an American firefighter's shirt in my wardrobe.

A few years ago a member of the Fire Department of the City of New York gave it to me as we exchanged souvenirs, having competed against each other at an international fire service athletics meeting in this country. On the left sleeve is the fire department badge, which carries an image of the New York skyline.

As I look at it, I am moved to tears, and I wonder whether the young man who once wore it is alive and well, or whether he was killed on September 11 -- truth is, I cannot bear to inquire about him for fear of finding out the worst.

But my sadness is coupled with anger towards Mr Blair who tries to justify the deaths of innocent Afghan people, by preaching to us that we should not forget the terrible things we saw on our TV screens. How dare he utter such patronising claptrap!

On September 11, I watched numb with horror as hundreds of my brother and sister firefighters, and thousands of their fellow citizens, went to their deaths. I will remember that scene until the day I die.

It is yourself Mr Blair, who should not forget, nor so keenly try to ignore that which the British and American public are all too aware of -- that it is the military, economic, and political vested interests of the west, which gave birth to the monsters which are bin Laden and his accomplices, and that those same vested interests are now punishing an innocent and long suffering Afghan people, in an attempt to impose their version of so-called "civilisation" and "justice".

A telling Freudian slip by Mr Bush made shortly after September 11, explains any reluctance to similarly punish those who throw pipe bombs at little girls in Ireland, or those who car-bomb the crowded streets of Madrid, ie "...they (the Afghans) do not share our values."

William Kelly

Darley Street

Farnworth