MIDDLE EAST

WHAT a pity we don't see as much brouhaha being made whenever some young "Palestinian" (like 16-year-old kids ) brainwashed by their elder, political Islamic and Arafatsonian thugsters that a perverted paradise awaits them by committing suicide and, in the process, taking as many innocent Israelis (including little babies and kids) with them, as we do whenever Israeli tanks roll in to seek out the cold, callous and cruel terrorists who use their own children as walking bombs to commit heinous murders.

What is happening in the pariahing and persecution of poor little Israel now is an overall reflection of everything that's wrong with society. The thugs and the terrorists get mollycoddled and rewarded by crooked judges while the defender/victim (saving his/her family's lives and property from a wrongdoing intruder into their homes and property) is classed as the bad guy, and too often punished.

It's a wonderful world for the wicked, now that it's the violent psychopaths who are in charge of the jailhouse with the victims being the ones locked up and chastised. - Bethany Megan Robinson, Darlington.

THE hypocrisy and double standards of the West have been laid bare in its attitude to the conflict between the Palestinians and Israel.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait, it was told get out or be bombed. It was bombed and many innocent civilians were killed.

When Milosevic tried to include Kosovo in a greater Serbia, he was told to desist or face the power of Nato. Serbia was bombed into submission and Milosevic is on trial in the Hague for war crimes.

Israel has consistently ignored UN resolutions to get out of Arab territory and George Bush and Tony Blair are pathetic in their approach to a very dangerous situation.

Why is Israel not subject to the same penalties as applied to Iraq or Serbia?

How can Arafat be held responsible for suicide bombers? We did not hold the Irish government responsible for the actions of the IRA.

Mr Blair seems totally reluctant to take a strong line on Israel, possibly unwilling or afraid to offend the devious Bush.

Until this grossly unfair situation is put right, the Palestinians face a bleak future. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

TONY BLAIR

I THINK it was disgraceful that Tony Blair should be absent from an emergency debate on the deployment of 1,700 of our finest troops to Afghanistan.

There were just 30 Labour MPs present, yet there was a full house about fox hunting.

They have already had four debates about fox hunting, and I think there are more urgent things to discuss than this issue.

Nearly all the present Labour MPs seem to be only "yes men" and don't seem to have any opinion of their own.

Tony Blair should be attending to things that are needed in this country, instead of flitting all over the world.

He postures as a great war leader, yet has no respect for the way these courageous men are putting their lives on the line.

Instead, he felt it more important to have talks with his backbenchers on fox hunting.

Mr Blair has treated Parliament with contempt and as an inconvenience.

The sooner he goes the better. - ED Pattison, Eaglescliffe.

OPERATION ROSE

I RECALL some years ago, an American prison governor being interviewed about his approval of the death penalty. When asked if he had any reservations over the possibility of falsely accused and wrongly convicted people being executed, his response was that if, for the sake of the greater good, a few innocent people go to the gas chamber, then so be it.

The conduct of Operation Rose appears to suggest that, in this country, a similar philosophy is applied by those investigating allegations of child abuse.

Whilst it is right and proper that the full rigour of the law be used to deal with the truly guilty, it seems that too often child protection's scattershot methods inflict devastating and unnecessary suffering upon the truly innocent.

Child sex abuse investigators need to wake up to the fact that people, including children, are not incapable of telling lies, particularly when influenced by manipulative individuals or lured by the prospect of financial compensation.

The situation is not helped by the lenient way in which those making or helping to manufacture false allegations are dealt with. - Brian Marsh, Bishop Auckland.

QUEEN MOTHER

THE sad news of the Queen Mother's death reminded me of a memorable, if not slightly embarrassing, occasion many years ago.

It was the late 1950s. I was a Senior Engineer Officer on the RMS Queen Elizabeth (named after Her Majesty). At that time, it was the custom for the rich and famous to travel across the Atlantic on Cunard liners. On this particular trip, we were honoured by the presence of the Queen Mother, making a state visit to Washington DC.

All the officers were instructed to wear their No 1 uniforms and assemble in the Ward Room to meet Her Majesty. On arriving there, we were told that the meeting would be 30 minutes late. To pass away the time, we indulged in a brief game of deck quoits. Unfortunately, I overstretched and felt some of the stitches on my uniform jacket sleeve give way under my right arm. Panic stricken, I intended to return to my cabin and change my jacket. Too late. At that moment, the chief engineer instructed everyone to return to the Ward Room.

We stood in line to be introduced to the Queen Mother. When the gracious lady reached me, I managed to keep my right elbow close to my side and give a formal, if rather restricted, handshake. Whether Her Majesty noticed or not, I will never know. I did however receive one of her famous radiant smiles. A memory I will always treasure. - Joe Harrington, Darlington.

WAR SOCIETY

I AM the local contact for the War Research Society, run mainly by retired and serving police officers and ex-servicemen as a charitable hobby.

It was founded many years ago and supports a number of charities including the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal Fund, and Veterans.

We run trips to the Battlefields and Cemeteries of Northern Europe, namely, the Somme, Ypres, The Ardennes, Dieppe, Normandy, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Berlin, Belsen, Soltau, Reichswald, Rheinberg, Colditz Castle, the Dambusters Raid, Buchenwald, Prague and Auschwitz. All trips have an experienced guide, and conducted tours of the battlefields and visits to requested cemeteries are made.

We would welcome inquiries and only ask for a medium-sized stamped addressed envelope so that details can be forwarded. - A Kinghorn, 14 Silverknowes Terrace, Davidsons Mains, Edinburgh, EH4 5HN.

FOX HUNTING

THE anti-hunt brigade (HAS, Mar 28) talks of cruelty and the environment. One even mentioned the loss of the old industries in the same breath as cruelty.

Firstly, these old industries were extremely cruel to mankind, with thousands killed and maimed or suffering while waiting compensation.

Secondly, the same old industries made just about every waterway in Britain into an open sewer.

The world's environment is now suffering badly due to our reliance on fossil fuels.

Various "quiet" fishing groups have fought extensively against pollution, abstraction, deforestation, gripe drainage of fells, over-netting at sea, destruction of habitat, etc. They have worked alongside wildlife groups and achieved real improvements.

The Tyne, a polluted cesspool of a river, has been turned round by the involvement of many groups who came together to fight for the same result. It's now England's best salmon river. Hand-in-hand will come an increase in rural economy.

What will follow the demise of hunting - shooting, then fishing? A Labour-imposed curfew perhaps, where we'll all sit at home making proggy mats. - J Ta gue, Bishop Auckland.