PRESIDENT BUSH: THE American people and President Bush have been treated diabolically by some factions in England.

Bush has come to England cap in hand and, indeed, wished to meet families of those who have died in the Iraq conflict. He obviously feels the hurt these people are going through and, in some way, wishes to share this.

When England needed backing, America has always been there and is our greatest ally. At the time of the Falklands conflict our Harriers were fitted with their latest missiles, allowing our pilots superiority over the Argentine air force. Up-to-the-minute satellite information was also put at our disposal.

In sharp contrast, France supplied Argentina with its Exocet missile, which cost our nation many lives and ships. It was alleged that Argentina was lacking information on arming these missiles. Who were they kidding? - Bernard McCormick, Newton Aycliffe.

I RESPECT the rights of the individual to protest peacefully. I object strongly to the violent "rent a mob" extreme left thinking they are a majority.

Like most everyone, I too have fears over the outcome of the Iraq situation. Yet did the comrades protest about Saddam and the killing of 300,000 of his own people?

However, during Tony Blair's many visits to the US, were the American people disrespectful towards him or Britain? I don't think so, nor I doubt they ever would be. Peaceful protest if you wish: over the top anti-Americanism, definitely not.

May I remind people that the US would have gone to war with or without us. The British Government, not President Bush, deployed British troops. Whatever the perceived faults of President Bush, he should be respectfully welcomed as the leader of Britain's greatest ally. - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland Conservatives.

TONY Blair states that President Bush's visit to this country has come at an appropriate moment, but doesn't it just stir up anti-war feelings?

I would have thought that that is the last thing that Mr Blair wants at the particular moment.

Why is this war being fought?

Originally, we were told by Mr Blair that it was because weapons of mass destruction would be deployed at 45 minutes notice and were a threat to our security.

Now we are told that it is against terrorism.

Before the horror of September 11, were not terrorists in Northern Ireland supported by some in America, both financially and verbally?

What steps were taken to stop them?

Did not top IRA people meet top people in America? Is this not a case of double standards?

President Bush states how lucky we are to be able to speak freely, but it appears that words of freedom are not what he wants to hear if what we read about keeping protest marches away from him is true.

Unfortunately, there are many, sadly and disgustingly, unable to speak freely because they have been killed in what I believe to be an unnecessary war.

What about the cost? Money that would have been spent on health, railways etc, and our lads would still be alive. - D White, Darlington.

CONSERVATIVE PARTY

IS the price of placating Kenneth Clarke, and having peace within the Conservative Party, the destruction of the United Kingdom?

For Michael Howard to put David Curry in charge of their regionalisation policy is like putting an alcoholic in charge of the brewery.

Does anybody think that the career politicians who want regional assemblies will just sit there and not dream up more and more stupid rules and regulations? Then they will employ even more officials to implement and enforce them. Guess who will then have to pay for it all. No doubt they will try to bribe us with our own money via bogus "EU grants".

Is there now any real point in having a Conservative Party?

As all employment legislation, agriculture and environmental policy is now decided in Brussels, there is no wonder Michael Howard has decided that he only needs 12 people in his Shadow Cabinet. - Stephen Feaster, Chairman, Ryedale Branch, UK Independence Party.

GHOST SHIPS

PETER Mandelson, the twice sacked government minister, seems to think he is an expert on the environment and all other environmentalists have got it wrong.

He condemns all and sundry for trying to stop the ghost ships blighting Hartlepool. The ex-minister even criticises the American congresswoman Jo Ann Davis saying "she is talking through the top of her hat" when she describes the ghost ships as a potential disaster waiting to happen.

If the Hartlepool people had any doubt about the damage the toxic ships could do, Congresswoman Davis has shown their concerns are well founded.

However, Peter Mandelson goes on to further condemn the Congresswoman using emotive words such as "misrepresented, irrational fear, thoughtless words".

He also attacks the people's elected mayor Stuart Drummond and councillors for swallowing the propaganda.

In effect, he is saying 'you will have what I think is best for you', not what the people of Hartlepool actually desire. Is he truly representing Hartlepool? - Dennis Lane, Middlesbrough.

EUROPE

I AM sure that it will interest everyone to point out that the European Union's court of auditors has failed to give EU accounts a clean bill of health for the ninth year.

The auditors can give assurance to less than ten per cent of the European Union's annual budget for 2002.

On payments to farmers, which swallow nearly half of that budget, they say the controls were often shaky.

Aid to poorer regions - again a huge slice of the cash pie - was tainted by the same types of error with the same frequency as in previous years.

And the European Commission's own system of accounting was inadequate: the record of assets and liabilities was incomplete.

If anyone who runs a business in this country had similar accounting practices, they would be prosecuted by the Inland Revenue for failing to keep proper records.

Rest assured that this doomed project is now entering its twilight years. And this organisation, along with our own Government, wishes to impose its constitution on us.

Once the European Constitution fails to be ratified in many of the member states who are allowing their people referenda, the "European Project" will begin to collapse faster than the Berlin Wall.

Perhaps then we will all rapidly negotiate that free trade agreement we thought we were signing up for in the first place. - Neil Herron, Sunderland.