THERE is no official data that can help Pete Winstanley arrive at his estimate that only two per cent of “high level” al Qaida or Taliban leaders are casualties of drone strikes (HAS, Oct 24).

Estimates differ widely depending on which source you choose to believe. However, the recent arrests in the UK of suspected terrorists (incidentally trained in North Pakistan) show that being in the top two per cent is not a necessary qualification to kill and maim innocent civilians.

The truth is that US drone strikes are successful and the Taliban is running scared.

Pete also attributes Muslim terrorism going global to the US and its allies “battling along a blind alley”.

I sometimes wonder if Pete could actually bring himself to admit there is any form of Muslim terror we aren’t in some way to blame for?

Kev Mcstravick, Darlington