JUST as we are absorbing David Cameron’s thoughts on what is behind the threat of terrorism and extremism, Peter Mullen condemns the attempt to follow up the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as it is seen to apply to Iran to attack Barack Obama for his efforts to reconcile past conflicts and the Shia branch of Islam.

Mr Cameron did have the grace not to blame the Muslim religion for the excesses of the political ideology in the Middle-East that uses the term Islamic.

I must say that if Muslim readers were to think Rev Mullen’s columnist spoke for us they could not fail to be alienated.

Rev Mullen talks about appeasement but, at that time, aristocrats here saw Nazism and fascism as a buttress against communism. The first act of appeasement was staying neutral when Franco was replacing a liberal democracy in Spain. The upholders of liberty were the international brigade who had every discouragement from the authorities to get involved.

G Bulmer, Billingham.