Such a spineless policy would only embolden a new generation of Islamic terrorists

Such a spineless policy would only embolden a new generation of Islamic terrorists who would be tempted to bomb us out of Afghanistan as well.Before contemplating such a feeble policy of capitulation, it is helpful to remember what happened in Spain after the Madrid bombings. Millions of us marched against his policies and said that perpetrating such loss of life in Iraq would not make our streets safer. Our own intelligence services said the same thing.What is wicked though is the attempt by Blair to demonise a minority of the British population in order to save his own political skin The acts of the bombers were political acts. Obliquely accusing an ethnic minority by dint of their religion of somehow being complicit in these criminal acts is a dangerous game. To argue that they have nothing to do with the illegal invasion of Iraq and the 100,000 deaths there seems ludicrous and insulting.Tony Blair’s assertion that to draw this connection somehow plays into the terrorists’ hands is a pathetic attempt to cow opposition. It is also true that Sunnis and Shia got along without major problems before the invasion; the communities are intermarried and were certainly not at each others’ throats before the US interim administration under Paul Bremer began to use “divide and rule” as a tactic to govern the country.The way to put a stop to this is to immediately withdraw all foreign troops.

US and UK politicians claim there would be civil strife if troops were withdrawn, but this is not the real reason for their objections. They have shown us that they place little value on Iraqi lives, and civil strife would not bother them in the slightest. Their problem is that they want a pliable puppet regime in Baghdad, and they know that immediate withdrawal will undermine that aim.As usual, our politicians are incapable of expressing their real motivations for their actions but hide them under the pretence of caring about human rights.PETER ALLENLONDON E17Sir: Douglas Hurd is to be congratulated on his lucid and realistic appraisal of the causes behind the London bombings. The fact is that coalition troops make the situation worse in Iraq every day. “Don’t you worry, soldier! We’ll get you back to base and they’ll get that balsam seed out of you and you’ll be right as rain again, but just to be on the safe side, let me have your wallet and your money and silver cigarette case now, and I’ll look after them for you.”Uncle Geoffrey fell silent. Somehow, the children seemed on a different wavelength to him, in a land where fantasy and fact were mingled.Though at the same time, oddly enough, Geoffrey could not help visualising himself as a ruthless giant supermouse setting to work on two baby chicks who somehow bore than a passing resemblance to his nephew and niece..
More from Miles Kington.

The real reason Blair opposes withdrawal

Sir: In his otherwise interesting Opinion piece (28 July), Douglas Hurd repeated a tired old piece of propaganda: “There is no case for immediate withdrawal of British and American troops.”
British and US politicians seemingly never tire of repeating this nonsense. “The world’s all going dark! Am I going to die, Sergeant?”"You’re going to be all right,” said Robert. “There’s a Himalayan Balsam behind you ! And it’s armed!”He made a loud noise and Susan obligingly fell over on the hillside, writhing and pretending to die.”The flower got me!” she shrieked. “One of the oddities of the Himalayan Balsam is that its seed pod opens in the sun with a loud crack, and the seeds are fired up to fifteen feet away.”"Watch out, Susan!” said Robert. to…”Uncle Geoffrey often did his research well before these little rambles, but could not always thinking of the right word.”Ravage the river banks and oust the indigenous flora?” said Susan.”Shoot their seeds far and wide,” said Uncle Geoffrey. In fact, I have to correct you there, Susan – it never really invaded us at all.

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