Let's remember, this is a war upon which America chose to embark, and let us realise that present insurgency is largely the entailment of a dearth of proper planning.

Where to next? Well, obviously a withdrawal. But, how?

The symbolism of withdrawal is as significant as its practical effect; coalition forces, were they to withdraw presently, would surrender whatever moral high ground they have managed to win, and abandon an innocent civiliation populace to unspeakable hardship.

Saddam was not a fine fellow, but Iraq under Saddam was, in many ways, a better place.

Richard Adams, Canberra, Australia

Distressing news story. George 'duub-yah" just doesn't "get it." Some of his critics, including Republican party members, aver that he is living in a "bubble." Bush should read Herbert George Wells's "The Outline of History." The British were in Mesopotamia how many years? (And one British soldier was killed daily.) Wells wrote in one edition that the British will never rule effectively by shooting people or at the point of a bayonet.

Alan Flacks, New York, U.S.A.

When an organization lowers itself to premeditated murder
of innocent children,what hope is there for peace in Iraq or
for that matter,any where in the middle east.

David Nigel Braham, Milan, Italy

How sick. If the US gov spent just 5% of the money it spent on the Iraq war, working with Muslims instead of assuming guilty until innocent like policies, we may have had a better chance of ridding the world of the likes of al-qaeda. Instead we had the worlds most powerful man fulfil a family vendetta of Saddam, resulting in chaos allowing such sick acts of planned terrorism.

God Almighty bless the soldier who noticed the wire, and the many others who do their best to help, and may God Almighty help us find a way to solve these problems, amen!

Farrukh, Woking, UK

I can understand whoever it was that did this when they attack Americans. They are the invading force. They are also soldiers and the can shoot back.

Targeting children like this... there really aren't words for it. If someone's view of the world is so skewed by hatred that they have no problem with a very carefully worked out plan to kill as many young girls as is possible, an entire school in this case, that is just... really, what can a reasonable person say to something like that.

I find it striking that the believers in the god of love and those of the religion of peace have absolutely no qualms about visiting soul crushing pain and misery upon this world. A reasonable person would step back and think about what they were doing. I maintain that these are not reasonable people.

Frances, Brussels, Belgium

Again, Iraqis picking on Iraqis. Not on the Americans or British, not on the adult leaders of an opposing Iraqi faction, but on schoolgirls. They do not even know which girls they would have killed: merely that the body count would have been high.

Two questons:
(1) Why do they do it? Civil war I can understand, but this?
(2) In the circumstances, what should the West do? Leave, and let them get on with the murdering? Stay, and commit enough manpower effectively to occupy and pacify the area? How many men would that need?

Answers, please somebody. In particular, I would like a spokesman for Al Qaeda to answer question (1).

Michael Bruce, Selby, Yorkshire

Killing children in the name of Allah...my, what brave and just men these are. Change the ROE - turn the American and British forces loose. Colleteral damage versus a school buiding...you tell me what's worse.

Cliff, Pinehurst, TX, USA