TERRORISM: THE attack on Iraq was presented as part of the war on terror, but in terms of dealing with the threat of international terrorism, it can only be described as a monumental blunder.

It brought no terrorist ringleaders to justice and, as widely predicted, killed tens of thousands of innocent civilians, brought al Qaida to Iraq where it was not previously involved, and ensured that the terrorists will have an inexhaustible supply of recruits and supporters for the foreseeable future.

Now we have Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin discussing terrorism at a summit meeting in London. With Putin's disastrous mistakes in Chechnya, and Blair's in Afghanistan and Iraq, this must surely be a case of the blind leading the blind. - Pete Winstanley, Durham.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS

HAS anyone read about an icon speaking absolute drivel and, at the same time, admitting to personally committing criminal activity (Echo, Oct 8)?

In defending fellow icon (his mate) Kate Moss's use of cocaine, Robbie Williams claims she had done nothing wrong.

Furthermore, Williams attempts to give its use credence through announcing himself as being a user.

It may surprise our Robbie to learn that cocaine is a 'Class A' drug, which brings with it severe penalties for its supply and use.

Perhaps a visit by the police might encourage dates and times as well as, more importantly, his supplier (put up or shut up) - perhaps the pair might, for a while, 'love angels instead', behind prison bars.

There are kids whose lives are influenced and ruined by the cretinous and egotistical mouthings and revelations which seek to pardon the indefensible.

They do not inspire respect but, unlike the fate of the more lowly eschatologist, are guaranteed to worm their way out of trouble, rather than earn a reality check. - CS Simons, Bishop Auckland.

EUROPEAN UNION

THE recent announcement from the president of the European Union that he is planning to scrap a raft of fatuous EU regulations should, at face value, be applauded by us all, particularly small business people who are particularly over-regulated.

The announcement suggests a trend to the reversal of the core assumption upon which the EU operates: that being the mass of regulations imposed across Europe.

However, the devil in the detail is not a cause for rejoicing.

Out of 183 regulations that were recently reviewed by the EU Commission, only 68 will be withdrawn or amended. This should be viewed in the context that, since 1997, the EU has passed 4,806 more regulations, directives and decisions than it has repealed (Foreign Office official figures).

The EU has also promised to cull the 80,000 page law book of the EU, to a more modest 50,000 pages. This proposal has comically provoked the members of the European Parliament (EUP) to voice opposition to the idea; they have questioned whether the Commission has the authority to withdraw legislation which has already gone before Parliament.

Clearly, the only way of reducing the size of the EU's statute book is for the regulators to use a smaller font. - Peter Troy, Sedgefield.

CARNIVAL FIREWORKS

MY friends and I recently attended a carnival at Darlington market square, where children enjoyed wall climbing and the other members of the crowd enjoyed the hypnotic, up tempo musical sounds of a Caribbean steel band.

At the end of the evening, my friends and I were outraged with the firework display. In all of their wisdom, the council had only decided to plant the fireworks in St Cuthbert's church graveyard, where, for a number of minutes, the skeletal remains of once proud Darlingtonians would have literally been shaken to the bone by the emphatic sounds of these explosive displays. I think it a dreadful display of utter ignorance towards the deceased. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

TORY CONFERENCE

I WATCHED the Conservative Party conference and listened to a lot of the pathetic speakers admitting about how they used to be seen as nasty and that now they should all try their hardest to be seen as nice.

This has included calls for a move to the middle ground, in other words just offering different faces to do exactly the same work as Blair and Co rather than offering distinct policies that will take on the wrongs and evils in the country.

Behind each speaker sat a pleasing gallery of nice and inoffensive looking people - some were women, some from ethnic minorities and presumably one or two were working class or gay people. Nobody looked like the big business, union smashing Tory stereotype.

On the same day, I watched Crimewatch on BBC1 and it reinforced my belief that weak looking and sounding 'nice' politicians aren't what this country is desperate for.

A hardline government with a zero tolerance approach to crime that will make room in prisons by hanging the most odious offenders is needed to clean up Britain and make the land safe for the decent majority.

Differences between the three main parties are now blurred. Labour has not re-opened a single coal mine, steelworks or railway works closed by the Tories, presumably disappointing a lot of their traditional support who have a childlike trust in them. - T Agnew, Darlington.

TENT COUPLE

THIS couple do not seem to work, so is it right for taxpayers to keep them?

They obviously have had a home and families, but got their priorities wrong and spent their benefit on things other than rent, families and living essentials.

We could all spend taxpayers' money on pleasures. So perhaps sympathy is wasted in this case, and should be directed to their families who must be embarrassed by them. - Name and address supplied.

GHOST TOWN

RE the revamping of Darlington town centre and also the issue of re-scheduling of the bus services, I would like to voice my concerns if the improvements go through and also if the council continues with the new bus routes and stands.

My wife and I have spoken with several business people who operate in the town centre and they are of the opinion that they are already losing trade largely because shoppers are having to carry their shopping too far to catch a bus.

The normally thriving market also appears to be a lot quieter for the same reasons.

Unless the local authority listens to public opinion for once it will find that it is supporting a ghost town of empty shops.

In addition, I read in The Northern Echo that the council had received about 1,000 replies to its questionnaire re the town's footpaths and roads but states that there won't be enough cash to do all that is suggested.

The council should have thought about that one before embarking on all the bollards, speed restrictions, new traffic islands and additional pelican crossings in the town. - Jim Blair, Darlington.