SOME people say that the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York and the loss of 6,000 lives were the chickens coming home to roost. I don't agree -- targeting civilians is wrong, whatever the cause.

I have a great affection for the people of the USA. I served in the Merchant Navy from 1940 to 1946 and I visited New York a few times. We were treated wonderfully by its people. New York was wide open for us.

The contribution they made in the war cannot be easily dismissed. This was the America I liked and I still have a deep affection for the American people.

Regretably, I cannot say the same for US foreign policies of the past 50 years. They emerged as the most powerful nation on earth, but embarked on destabilising countries and supporting vile dictators.

The biggest crime was the Vietnam war, which saw more bombs dropped on North Vietnam than were dropped by all sides in the Second World War and ended with almost two million Vietnamese and 56,000 Americans dead.

There is a saying that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That has been demonstrated post-war by the USA, but I have enough faith in the American people to force their government to change.

After the Twin Towers atrocity, maybe they will.

COUN CLIFF WESTELL, Riley Street, Accrington.