THE events of a year ago in New York have had a great deal of coverage and our sympathy should go to the relatives of all those innocent people.

But we should not forget the other side to the tragic event and that, within months, the Americans had killed significantly more innocent people in Afghanistan.

Prior to September 11, the US was using its military might, hitting several poor and weak regions of our world where the news bandwagon had long since lost interest.

It was allowing the financing of many terrorist organisations, including the IRA. Many believe you reap the seeds you sow.

The double standards of the American foreign policy causes outrage in some quarters as it turns a blind eye to Israel bombing Palestinian children and refuses to comply with United Nations' resolutions.

Let's hope that our own representatives are strong enough to support the UN and international law and not be set up as stool pigeons by George Bush to take the anger and flak of the Muslim community as the Americans seek to grab control of the Iraqi oil fields. - A Featherstone, Pickering.

JIM Ross, in his anti-American letter (HAS, Aug 30), forgot to mention some of the food we ate during the war was from America.

The Americans also sent their forces into Europe from June 1944 until May 1945, supplied Marshall Aid to Europe after the war, stationed forces in Europe as part of Nato, provided the air umbrella after the building of Iron Curtain across Europe, kept the devious Stalin and company at bay, shared secrets with us about the nuclear submarines we were building, and gave us help during the Falklands War.

In the gathering storm after September 11 we must heed the warnings of President Bush and Tony Blair. - R Reed, Eppleby, Richmond.

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

THE North-East Chamber of Commerce is to be congratulated in consulting its members on the Government's proposal to set up a regional assembly in this area. It has provided some hard evidence of the views of an important section of the community.

The most startling fact to emerge is that only 186 of the 3,000 members responded to the survey. This is certainly an indication that, as far as the business community is concerned, it is not top of their agenda.

Those who did reply had reservations, some thought it should have more powers, others looked upon it as just another layer of government.

The survey certainly conflicts with the views of Derek Foster, one of our local MPs, who claimed in the House of Commons: "In the North-East, the Chamber of Commerce and the CBI are clamouring for regional government..."

In the same debate, Austin Mitchell, the MP for Grimsby, said it should have the same powers as the Scottish Parliament, as he put it "what Scotland has, we want".

But even in Scotland there is growing disaffection with the Scottish Parliament. Scotland's first minister, Jack McConnell, said recently: "I have no doubt there's a level of disaffection with the parliament." - S Smith, South Shields.

REFUSE COLLECTION

A COUNCIL leaflet has arrived with details of a "new" scheme to collect rubbish in plastic sacks, put out on the kerbside, or in the back lanes.

This cheapskate scheme has operated in this area for years, and as elsewhere it results in Darlington being one of the dirtiest towns in the region.

The reason of course is that the plastic bags tear easily, and that they are easy treats for dogs and cats, and also the wind scatters all the rubbish. The council leaflet asks us to keep the sacks "safe from the attention of" animals - knowing full well that this is impossible: rubbish is bound to contain food scraps.

The only civilised modern way of collecting refuse is in wheelie bins. Obviously this would required a one-off investment for public health, but the council has legal duties to promote public health.

Perhaps this will be more obvious now the whole residential areas of the town, not just the old terraced streets, become covered in rubbish. - R Laver, Darlington.

EUROPEAN UNION

JACK Straw can't fool the British people by saying a European Union constitution would have no more significance than golf club rules (Echo, Aug 28).

How many petty rules of Europe are we already enforced to obey? Straight bananas and cucumbers spring to mind.

As for political parties, also cited by Mr Straw as having constitutions that nobody really observes, has he never heard of MPs being made to toe the party line?

No, Mr Straw, you cannot bamboozle us into thinking it all doesn't matter. I hardly think our European overlords would spend time drawing up their "basic rulebook" if they didn't intend to enforce it. Of course, it is another step closer to a "superstate". Mr Straw should be ashamed of himself for trying to pretend it is not. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

MEMORIALS

AFTER the horrific deaths of Jessica and Holly, along with the others over the years, it is understandable that people need some way to express their grief.

But the colossal amount of money spent on the laying of flowers seems such a waste when one sees how thousands of people are dying annually through having to drink polluted water.

If these massive sums of money could have been spent on providing drinking water for some of these desperate regions, it would have been an everlasting memorial for those who died so soon in such tragic circumstances.

The millions spent on organising the world summits to discuss this problem seem to produce only rhetoric and would be better spent in a similar manner. How do you come to terms with around 6,000 people dying daily through drinking polluted water while sipping the best of champagne? - D Punchard, Kirbymoorside.