New York was attacked because of its actions in, and support for, a number of regimes in the Middle East. The view within parts of the Arab world is that the US is an imperialist aggressor. Following 9/11, the Bush Administration attacked Afghanistan and, having failed to achieve the revenge it desired, decided that Iraq would be next.

When, belatedly, George Bush was persuaded that it might be politic to identify a reason, he and Tony Blair tried, amongst other things, the “weapons inspection” and the “UN approval” approaches. Neither gave them the justification they were seeking, so they simply asserted, without evidence, that Iraq posed a threat to the West and went to war.

The British public were not stupid. Most of us did not believe the war was justified. We knew also that joining the US in its war could result in exactly the type of attacks which took place in London.

Tony Blair said he wanted to make the world a safer place. Many of us predicted that he would make Britain an immeasurably more dangerous place. He has done that.

DAVID LOCKIE
dcl2005@hotmail.co.uk

From Dr Christopher Grey

Sir, Attempts to de-couple particular geopolitical events from terrorist attacks are in my view as misguided as attempts to link them.

Long-term historical processes have created a situation in which a small number of people respond to generalised actual or perceived humiliation of Islamic and Arab peoples with extreme violence, and a much larger number with generalised loathing of “the West”.

There is absolutely no point in trying to understand these matters in terms of a causality (or non-causality) between specific events, but every point in trying to improve the general climate by undercutting the wider loathing within which violence can flourish.

Unfortunately, every move in the War on Terror seems to have had the opposite effect.

CHRISTOPHER GREY
Shepreth, Hertfordshire

From Dr Abbas Al-Hussaini

Sir, The Iraq Higher Education Organising Committee in the UK condemns unequivocally the atrocious bombings in London on July 7 which cannot be condoned or excused by any religion or for any reason or cause. We can only reflect on the similar acts committed daily in Iraq and join in the revulsion that any decent man and woman must feel towards these acts of terrorism.

The committee expresses its condolences to the families of the bereaved and prays for the speedy recovery of those injured. We are certain that the terrorists will fail and that freedom and democracy will prevail.

ABBAS AL-HUSSAINI
(General Secretary, IHEOC)
Marylebone, London

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