IRAQ: PRESIDENT Bush has put Tony Blair well and truly on the spot by requesting British soldiers go into Baghdad under American command.

The Iraqi fighters will not distinguish between our troops and the Americans with the inevitable outcome of British fatalities.

The brutal US aggression in Iraq means that our soldiers will reap the whirlwind of the disastrous American invasion of Iraq. We were dragged into this war by Blair's pathetic subservience to the wishes of Mr Bush.

However, now is the time for Labour MPs to get off their knees and stand up and say to Mr Blair No! No! No! We will not provide the Americans with cannon fodder to be the playthings of stupid American generals.

If we do accede to Mr Bush's request then Mr Blair is finished as PM, even though he may survive until after the next election.

In a sense, Mr Bush has given Blair a golden opportunity to tell him 'we have gone along with you so far, but no further'. Mr Blair should also tell Mr Bush that they have made an unholy mess of the whole affair and alienated Muslims all over the world.

Saddam Hussein ran a tyrannical regime but it was secular in nature. Just wait and see when Iraq has a greater say in how it will be governed in the future. I predict the US puppets will all be displaced and that Islamic clerics will rule the country, if not entirely up-front then certainly behind the scenes.

And what of Mr Blair? Well I am sure Mr Bush will find him a job somewhere. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLY

DOESN'T the Yes Campaign realise that what destroyed Winston Smith's struggle for truth and justice in George Orwell's novel 1984 were the RATS?

Using the RAT as a symbol, the Yes Campaign has turned the debate into a war between North and South. I would strongly disagree that all Southerners are "rather arrogant toffs". Born and bred in Easington, I have sympathy with those Southerners in boroughs which, according to the accepted regional indices of deprivation, are even more deprived than we are.

However, following the Yes argument, if Southerners are Rather Arrogant Toffs what does this make Northerners - subservient working class, cap-doffing serfs who should know their place? No way! This is not a war to build a new wall between North and South.

Why RATS? Does the Yes Campaign not realise that most historians believe RATS were the bearers of the Black Death?

At least the No Campaign's White Elephant is just full of hot air, and doesn't try to plant the kiss of death on anyone. - Maureen Taylor-Gooby, Peterlee.

LIKE your correspondent M Birtle (HAS, Oct 18), I too have been pondering which way to vote in the in the regional assembly referendum. Then this morning I had a letter in the post from Brendan Foster - ex-athlete - supported by an expatriate businessman, a publicity seeking ex-policeman, a daytime television agony aunt, an ex-football player and manager, an actress and a "relations leader", all exorting me to vote in the affirmative. Who could resist after that lot? Well, me for a start. Mr Birtle was right about "bloated egos" - HR Watson, Darlington.

GRAHAM Robb argues that a regional assembly will be jobs for the boys. It is precisely to end the "jobs for the boys", currently on various unelected quangos, that I will vote yes for a regional assembly.

We want our people chosen by the North-East from the North-East and accountable to the North-East to develop our regional economy and infrastructures. We want jobs for our children here in the North-East. They are our future. Vote yes for a Regional Assembly to end the drain of young talent from the North-East. - Andrea Elsbury, Chester-le-Street.

FOR as long as we can remember, this region has come out bottom of the pile in comparison with other UK regions in just about all economic indicators.

A North-East elected assembly would reflect the unique character and identity of our region and would be a very good start in tackling our problems.

I think a No vote will send out a message to those in power in London that we in this region are happy with being almost second class citizens in our own country. If a No vote is returned in the vote on a regional assembly for the North-East, a chance will have been missed and such an opportunity may never come our way again.

A Yes vote will be a statement of intent that the North-East has the determination to make a start in taking our future into our own hands. - Paul Rivers, Wallsend.

I AM surprised the European Union dimension has not been mentioned in the leaflet promoting the referendum on the regional assembly. It is an important issue, but, of course, closer ties with the European Union is not popular with voters.

In the Government White Paper, it mentions the "connections with the European Union which could be strengthened further following the establishment of elected assemblies". This point is also mentioned in the Draft Regional Assembly Bill.

This is very important issue and I think it should have been made clear in the leaflet that Regional Assemblies could lead us closer to Brussels. - Stan Smith OBE, South Shields.

I TURNED to page ten of your newspaper (Echo, Oct 18) with considerable interest. The Echo was going to explain the reasons why I should vote Yes. What I actually read was a well-argued case why I should vote No.

Very good reasons for saying No were listed at the beginning of the article, the reasons for saying Yes came at the end and were platitudinous, nebulous and amounted to no more than a sentimental appeal to the reader.

It was a very half-hearted attempt to support the case for an assembly. - H Evans, Chester-le-Street.

LET'S say Scotland has been given fillet steak, Wales and London have been given lamb chops. We are offered a bone. I'll be voting No. - H Gaylord, Durham.

HALLOWEEN

R HARBRON (HAS, Oct 14) must check his history first before making sweeping statements. The term Halloween and the way it is celebrated actually comes from Christianity.

Samhain, pronounced Sowin, is the pagan festival. It is a festival of fire and remembering ancestors and honouring their memory. The devil, witches, etc., that seem to upset so much are a Christian invention. The pagans had no idea of hell and did not recognise the witch we know today.

Seeing as the Roman Church hijacked a number of pagan festivals centuries ago, now upheld by Christianity, Mr Harbron has a cheek to complain. Christianity is not the only religion, not necessarily the best.

Halloween is a bit of fun. After all, most of us love a ghost story so long as those who don't are not disturbed by those who do. People have no problem with bonfire night, the symbolic burning of a man who was hanged, drawn and quartered in 1605. Sounds barbaric to me but it was Christians who carried out the sentence and subsequent tradition, not pagans. - H North, Darlington.