lN reply to Miss Holstead's recent letter, if she felt that I had insulted her intelligence please be assured that was certainly not my intention and I hope that she accepts my apologies.

l do, however, disagree with her views on lraq and George Bush.

Firstly, the highly emotive phrase "bombing the living daylights out of lraq" does not reflect reality in any way.

The operation was carried out with the minimum loss of civilian life and, on its conclusion, the Iraqi people were very grateful to be rid of Saddam and to be given the opportunity to become a free and democratic people.

As for oil, this was not the reason for the action at all. Instead of the oil revenues being used by Saddam and his family to provide them with a life of luxury and to maintain his tyrannical rule, they will be used by the newly-elected government for the benefit of all the Iraqi people.

As for George Bush being a warmonger, this is also quite untrue.

All America's efforts so far have been directed against the forces of evil and of restoring freedom to oppressed peoples and they, at least, are grateful for what he has done.

As for Robert Mugabe, I agree that he is a ruthless tyrant. He is not, however, seen to represent a threat to the world and there is no possibility of the United Nations sanctioning action against him. Any such action would also probably antagonise the whole of Africa.

Terrorism is the greatest threat to peace in the world and our efforts to contain it are not helped by those politicians who consider the civil rights of suspected and potential terrorists to walk the streets are more important than the rights of ordinary, law-abiding citizens not to be blown to pieces by a bomb.

David James

Upper Mead

Egerton