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TERRORISM

THE tragedy, if that be the word for it, at The Pentagon and World Trade Centre has made a deep impact on a people whose reserves of shock had appeared drained by Oklahoma City, Waco and other calamities of recent

years. My sympathy, for what it is worth, goes out to the families of those who died in such frightful circumstances. There is a fierce sense of irony that this incident should come at a time when American civilization seems in control, and the American Dream is once more on the brink of being brought to fruition.

But, hear me well, it will take a lot more than cowardly terrorist acts to break the life force and determination of the greatest Christian race in history. "Revenge triumphs over Death; Love slights it; Honour aspireth to it; Grief flieth to it" (Francis Bacon). - A Jones, Bridlington.

ALL decent people, including Christians, Jews and Muslims, will condemn this despicable act of mass murder, though a few have celebrated, believing the US has got its comeuppance, and not just for its support for Israel.

Islam has suffered centuries of persecution and repression, with persistent efforts by the West to secularise, exploit and dominate Arab countries. This offers no justification whatsoever for this atrocity, but the backlash was predictable.

President Bush has also promised retribution, not just against the terrorists, but also against the states which harbour or sponsor them. Has he already forgotten the US-sponsored terrorists who brought down the democratically-elected governments of Chile and Nicaragua?

Has he also forgotten that the Taliban, now in power in Afghanistan, were armed and trained by the CIA during the Soviet/Afghan war?

This has been described as an attack upon civilisation. The famous violinist, Yehudi Menuhin once remarked: "We live in a crime-producing civilisation. If there are terrorists, it is because we have produced them." - P Winstanley, Chester-le-Street.

I THANK you for putting your newspaper on the Internet. I try to read it daily. I live in Texas, but I feel like the North-East of England is my home also. I have many friends there and I attempt to visit yearly.

The purpose of this letter is to offer my meagre thank-you to the people of Great Britain for their outpouring of concerns over the acts of war that occurred on US soil. In this world of constantly changing allegiance, it is a comfort to know that Great Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with the US in attempting to bring peace to the world.

May God bless Great Britain and the United States of America. - Ralph Davis, Friendswood, Texas.

FOOT-AND-MOUTH

IT surprises me that there has been little or no response in the papers to Sunday's programme, Farming Today, which dealt mainly with foot-and-mouth in Argentina and how they deal with it.

One comment was that we must be a very rich country to adopt the slaughter policy we have, as it costs them about £1 a head to vaccinate all animals, sometimes even treat sick animals, and they don't close the countryside to all travellers. Needless to say, the Government refused to appear in the programme. - AR Tatman, Darlington.

WHILE in the Lake District for a week's holiday, we could not help but notice lots of disinfectant mats on many roads throughout the area and at the entrance to our caravan park.

These mats, with only one exception, were bone dry, some were slightly damaged, while the ones at the entrance to the site of Penrith's big market, were not only dry but in tatters. Who is responsible for maintaining and treating the mats? The local authority, the agricultural community, or Mr Nobody?

I am not in the least surprised that the disease is still rife. - PM Campbell, Tudhoe.

AUTISM

THE year 2002 has been declared Autism Awareness Year and we are desperately trying to get hold of as many support groups working within the field of autism as possible. The problem is that there is no complete central register of charities and parent support groups, as many set up completely independently when they feel their particular needs are not being met elsewhere.

The reason we wish to contact these groups is that we (the British Institute of Brain Injured Children and The Disabilities Trust) have got together and managed to secure a sum of money from two trust funds specifically to promote this year and to help smaller organisations to run awareness raising events. In order to do this we need to be able to locate them!

We already have a number of events planned, and we really would like to include all organisations, no matter how small, in next year's activities.

So, any support group or charity that hasn't already heard about this incentive, please get in touch with us and we will send you details of how everybody is working together to promote this year jointly to really get the message across about the plight of the autistic individual in the UK.

Autism is on the increase, no one really knows why as yet, but all of us working with this complex condition could really make a big difference if we all pull together to educate and raise awareness of the serious implication of this rise, and to allow a better understanding of autism.

You can contact us on (01278) 684060 or write to us at BIBIC, Knowle Hall, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA7 8PJ or register your interest at www.autism-awareness.org.uk - Pam Brooks, British Institute for Brain Injured Children.

ASYLUM

I THOUGHT that the front page of The Northern Echo (Echo, Sept 8) summed up the state of the country perfectly.

The headline read 'Britain's asylum policy in turmoil'. Alongside was a picture of Tony Blair, our Prime Minister, strumming a guitar.

Wasn't it Nero who played the fiddle while Rome was burning? - R Elliott, Darlington.