09/03/04

Mossadeq was made the Prime Minister by the Shah of Iran in April 1951, not by democratic means, but in order to try to calm the turmoil caused by the political pressures and street demonstrations that called for nationalisation of BP's refineries in the Persian Gulf in the early 1950s. General Razmara, who counselled calmer negotiations to revise the balance of oil revenues between the company and Iran, was assassinated. It made banner headlines in British newspapers when the nationalisation went ahead.

In the days of the Cold War, the possibility of Russia taking advantage of the situation was an extremely worrying development that was bound to cause concern to the West.

By August 1952, Mossadeq was an autocrat who had acquired control of all parliamentary affairs. There was international support for negotiations to remove him, but in August 1953, he was refusing to give way, even to the Shah, causing yet more chaos. When order eventually returned and the Shah was restored, Mossadeq was arrested and sentenced to prison, but actually spent his final years under house arrest.

A rather more fortunate outcome than that of hundreds of his supporters who were also arrested, and for some of whom the sentence was execution. - M Tubman, Stockton-on-Tees.

GREYHOUNDS

IN support of the letter (HAS, Mar 2), I entirely agree that there should be greater responsibility over racing greyhounds, whether it be by track owners, dog owners, etc. Provision should be made for their future. Too many greyhounds suffer an horrendous death that is quite often very long and most sadistic, after they have run their hearts out, earning money for their owner. The owner does very well while the dog is "useful", but often, the dog pays the ultimate price with its life.

Various greyhound charities do wonderful work in re-homing greyhounds, but greater responsibilty at the track, alongside better education in greyhounds as pets, would surely make a difference?

I currently own two ex-racers, and have owned other greyhounds in the past - ex-racers, unwanted pups and those that didn't make the grade. All have been wonderful members of the family in their own way. With patience and care, greyhounds adapt to being in a house.

It is about time money is put aside from the people who make plenty out of them, while racing, for their future. If you go to the races, and make money on the winner, do you think about what will happen to that dog? Do you care? And to all animal lovers, if you are thinking of getting a dog as a pet, why not give a greyhound a go? I recommend it. - Ellen Carlin, Carrville

DEEPCUT REPORT

THE Deepcut Report's exposure of a culture of bullying in the Army comes on top of recent concerns that soldiers' lives have been put in peril in Iraq due to inadequate equipment.

Long-standing criticisms have also been made about the lower ranks suffering discrimination due to the class-ridden nature of the Armed Forces.

Has not the time come to repeal the law that prevents servicemen and women joining recognised trade unions? Talk of an ombudsman for the Forces is a poor second best to proper representation to deal with daily issues like health and safety and discrimination. Any legislation could safeguard against strikes, a provision which covers prison officers. Thousands of civilians employed by the Armed Forces in the UK are already represented by trade unions and some Scandinavian countries do allow their soldiers to join unions. However, this basic civil liberty continues to be denied to our Forces. - Derek Cattell, GMB Trade Union

THE BBC

IT is understandable that James Mawdsley should complain about the BBC cartoon Popetown which shows the Pope surrounded by corrupt individuals.

But could it not be argued that any religion, which has for decades, if not centuries, protected those who sexually abuse children whilst blaming the victims; which could conceive and implement the evils of anti-Semitism, the Crusades, the witchhunts, the Inquisition and Magdalene Convent Laundries; which has for 2,000 years corrupted the teachings of a Leftie Liberal Jew known as Jesus to malign, denigrate, demonise, torture, enslave and even exterminate those of other races, faiths and cultures, in a pursuit of power and greed is, by definition, corrupt both morally and spiritually?

An attack on the Catholic Church is not an attack on Christianity, because Christianity like any other faith exists not within a place or organisation, but within the individual, as we are each responsible for our own salvation or damnation.

Equally, how can Christians expect respect for their faith when so many right-wing Christians use every opportunity to malign, denigrate, demonise and spread hatred toward those who are non-Christians? - CT Riley, Spennymoor

CLARE SHORT

CLARE Short's indiscretion was inexcusable; she could have compromised vital surveillance work and the agents who carry it out. But don't let's be hypocrites - the only exceptional thing about her comments is that they were made openly. The fact is that secret information is regularly leaked by top politicians and civil servants. Indeed, the media circus could not function without it.

Now if some down-trodden, wretchedly underpaid civil service clerk were caught breaking their oath of secrecy, they would be sacked on the spot, and rightly so. Though, in fact, the lowest civil service grade takes that oath very seriously indeed or they used to.

Not so their superiors, the people who actually run this country and who enjoy a lavish, leisurely and comfortable lifestyle at our expense.

And you wonder why the country's going to the dogs. - T Kelly, Crook

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

MOST of us have on occasion made a remark or joke and then realised we have unintentionally caused offence. The test of maturity and sensitivity is what we do next: do we begin muttering about "political correctness" and complain that the offended person is a bit touchy or has a chip on his shoulder, or do we apologise and try to understand?

Anne Winterton had only to put herself in the position of a relative of one of the Chinese cockle-pickers who died to realise how offensive her "joke" was.

Your Comment (Echo, Feb 27) is right to say that this has nothing to do with political correctness. However, the term "politically correct" is invariably used in a derogatory fashion - no-one actually believes that political correctness is a good thing. It is a pernicious invention. Many people complain that their argument is stifled by it when, in fact, they have made their own position clear while using the accusation of political correctness to discredit the opposing argument. - Pete Winstanley, Durham