I READ the "Your Letters" page with great interest but hope that Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda network do not. Otherwise they will be laughing all the way to their hideouts reading the comments of our "doves of peace": Neville Ball, Catherine Flood and P. Kaiserman.

It must be very encouraging for these evil men to carry out such heinous crimes against the West, and find these "idealists" are not only against any retaliation but also condemn with such ferocity their own leaders and allies who have the guts to try and rid the world of such animals.

P Kaiserman's question (Oct 19) "what can of worms has USA opened?" beggars belief. He should be asking bin Laden that question.

I would like these "doves of peace" and demonstrators, including Catherine Flood, to tell the 6,000 devastated families and the 1,300 children, all of whom were innocent, who are now without a parent, how they would stop bin Laden and the terrorists from carrying out further "Twin Towers" massacres and this insidious anthrax attack.

I suggest they demonstrate and march where the root of the cause is, in Afghanistan and Baghdad. The condemnation (Oct 19) by Neville Ball of the tragic loss of lives on September 11, and the comment that these should be regretted and mourned, was both patronising and nauseating. He then immediately launched an attack on the West, suggesting we hold our lives more precious than others, and then had the audacity to say the West was responsible for these events. Does this Mr Ball imply that bin Laden had an excuse for his inhuman action?

I would suggest that Mr Ball reflects on the rejoicing in Iraq and other parts when they heard of the New York tragedy. Such reactions do not need any more explanation as to who regards any human life as being precious.

Many of our friends and relatives paid the supreme sacrifice in the last two wars to rid the world of such evil. I sincerely hope their courage and sacrifice has not been in vain and it is up to every decent human being to support and unite with Bush and Blair in this very worrying and trying time.

Finally, I would like to quote a wise Jewish saying: "When there is no money, half is gone; when there is no courage, all is gone."

B. LANSDALE.

Grindsbrook Road,

Radcliffe.