The statement by WG Blake (letters, December 11) that the result of the Second World War "was to free the whole of Europe from subservience to evil" is totally inaccurate.

True, most of the western part of Europe was free of tyranny with the possible exception of Spain and Portugal. However, to the east of the Iron Curtain, from Stettin in the north to Trieste on the Adriatic, subservience to tyranny was to remain until 1989.

Mr Blake may feel safe as a result of the Iraq war, even more so since the capture of Saddam Hussein, but I do not, in fact, I feel less safe.

The recent bombings of the British Consulate and bank in Istanbul were not random events but carefully selected targets.

They were not French or German buildings.

This country, given our long experience of terrorism in Ireland, should be more aware than others that you cannot defeat terrorism by military means alone.

One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Be aware of dangers and be vigilant but to defeat terrorism you have to remove the causes, the injustices, that make

people resort to desperate means.

There are doubtless many reasons for Islamic terrorism but making a real effort to resolve the Palestinian issue would be a welcome start.

Israel has been in breach of a UN resolution concerning the occupation of Palestinian territory for about 35 years.

America will do little to solve this issue in a fair and just way because there are more Jewish than Arab votes in the USA at election time.

Mr Blair was very naive to imagine he could influence US policies. Churchill, a far greater statesman than Blair, had little influence over Roosevelt, a far more benign president than George Bush.

This country should not have joined in this war without proper UN authority and I believe that this was the biggest British foreign policy blunder since Suez in 1956.

J W Wright

Maiden Lane

Cherhill