Inquiry into London bombings

now that the trial of the bombing suspects is over I can find no reason not to hold a public inquiry into the events in London of July 7 when four suicide bombers exploded their devices.I firmly believe that it has suited this awful government down to the ground to actually have allowed the bombers to set off their devices. There is a precedent in Germany before WWII when a suspect burnt down the Reichstag and there was action taken against the Jews who were believed to have been behind the atrocity.Does nobody find it strange that they should have reduced the public protection in London just after the Olympics were granted. That, because all the major players were in Scotland because of a EU meeting they somehow just thought that the threat had disappeared. We have still not had the whole truth about the murder of an innocent Brazilian. Mr de Menezes, the officer in charge of the police even being promoted. The fiasco over the pronouncements by the London police commissioner who will soon be picking up his pension and no doubt writing a book. Now we even find out that the London bombers had met with this collection of conspirators. It just does not add up.

Don't send Harry to Iraq

during all the discussions over whether or not Harry (he does not deserve to be called Prince) should or should not be sent to Iraq may I humbly make the following points.Many people seem concerned that he may become sort of trophy and will therefore, not only endanger himself but also those who will be there to protect him. This I disagree with. I think that we should be more concerned that he may actually kill somebody, an insurgent, terrorist, freedom fighter whatever.Now some of us regard not only the original war to be illegal but also the occupation and the grotesque hangings being conducted by the regime we have installed and supported. We and our American allies have killed people, committed war crimes, murdered children, bombed innocents, tortured them, sent them to Cuba to be interrogated and this under some sort of specieous UN mandate. This is where Harry is going to be sent. Not only is the Prime Minister guilty but also all the officers giving the orders and following them. I know that when our soldiers sign up they take an oath of allegiance to serve Queen and Country. What they never signed up to was to defend the USA, to take revenge for the destruction of the World Trade Center, to take part in a spurious war against terror nor to occupy a foreign Country. Do not believe the adverts to join the British army, we are nothing but a bunch of mercenary killers.Finally, do you know what sticks in my throat most of all is the deafening silence from the left who seriously should be on the streets demanding the withdrawal of our troops from occupied Iraq. There is no front line, there is no war, there is only death and destruction. Just imagine what the lefties, socialists and failed communists would be doing if the conservatives were in power. I leave it to you to suggest the answers.

Private security firms

now I know we have been having a lot of trouble lately over military personnel selling their stories to the press and agree that this just really is not good enough, especially from those in the ranks who are totally unaware of the bigger issues at stake.Accordingly, therefore, I am slightly surprised that the Mail on Sunday April 22 should report that General Sir Michael Jackson has sold his memoirs for the sum of £550,000 and furthermore, he has become a non-executive director of Risk Advisory Group which is the holding company for Janusian Security Risk Management which is a firm which provides armed security guards in Baghdad.Now, regular readers of the Echo know of my opposition to the war and continuing occupation, that I consider that it was illegal, that the continued occupation is part of the problem and will never be the solution, that some of our troops have committed war crimes that the Americans are a disgrace, that tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis have been slaughtered and that there is now a civil war and that soldiers must not obey orders which are illegal under the Geneva Convention and the Nurembourg Principles, will surely share my complete disdain for this General, especially after my son was given an honourable discharge from special forces because he knew that what was happening in Iraq was just plain wrong.Jackson told our forces to go into combat and now he has the gall to sign up for a firm supplying nothing but mercenaries. It is not only Tony Blair who has blood on his hands, it is also the officers giving the orders, they are the guilty ones just as much. Bring the troops out now, don't send Prince Harry because of the danger, not only to himself but those who will have to protect him, and leave the fighting and killing to the well paid mercenaries, and no bleeding hearts when they come home in a coffin.

Iraq

may I thank the Echo for bringing to local readers attention a very serious problem with regard to our relationship with our 'coalition partners' namely America Coroner condemns the 'lack of help' over Iraq deaths from pentagon Echo April 17.Some of you well know my thoughts about our troops operating in Iraq but after events this weekend when two helicopters collided north of Baghdad and the comments of the Oxford coroner why exactly are we still in occupied Iraq. The Americans don't care about us for a start and the debacle over the captured sailors and marines says it all. Where are the boats and equipment. Where are the boats from 2003 when the previous group were captured. Why have we ceased operations in the waterway between Iraq and Iran. Of course no deal was done, no definitely not says a Prime Minister who everybody trusts of course. Mind you please see the labour party political broadcast where he demands questions from the public, answer mine first Blair if you dare, don't be another Terry. The situation is intolerable and as for the conservatives and their feeble attempt to get the labour Minister of Defence to resign, why they are just pathetic. Now at last people are beginning to understand why our soldiers are voting with their feet, they have been let down by the politicians but that was always the case anyway.

End the occupation of Iraq

today we hear about the sad deaths of yet two more of our soldiers in Iraq. However, these two deaths are slightly different inasmuch as they are reported to have occured North of Baghdad. Now I thought we were only meant to be operating in the the around Basra so is there there now a situation where we have something termed mission creep. What are we doing in the north. Will we ever bring our troops out.In the meantime apparently our soldiers have killed at least nine so called insurgents near where their colleagues were killed by a roadside bomb without suffering any casualties. How is that nobody can be captured and interrogated and what were our rules of engagement. Please let us end the occupation of Iraq.

Wolfowitz

I have said before that people who ride on public transport and do not pay their correct fare are nothing better than thieves. The same goes for any company which deliberately overcharges and makes excessive profit which is then used to remunerate directors, senior managers and shareholders. It may be called operating in the capitalist system but to me these individuals are frauds.The reason for my angst? We have Paul Wolfowitz, the chairman of the World Bank admitting that he arranged an increase in the salary of his girlfriend whilst she was working at the World Bank and then got her a job at the US State Department on her increased salary.Now this is the same World Bank which goes around the world telling everybody that they must cut out corruption and run an efficient economy. Paul Wolfowitz and many others like him must be thrown out of office and charged with fraud. A lot of people knew what was going on and remained silent. Anybody who remains silent when they know of corrupt practices is just as guilty as the perpetrator.

General retreat

may I thank through your letters page Ray Fitzpatrick for his comments on my contributions to Points of View Echo April 13.May I, in my usual humble inimitable style suggest that he obtains and reads a copy of the Daily Mail for the same day and refer to page 20 where the Mail interviews General Sir Michael Rose over the problems in Iraq.Readers will know of my connection through family to the SAS and the Parachute Regiment and would like to know how it would have been different for the likes of the General to resign and for my family member to be given an honourable discharge because of the issue over the war and continued occupation of Iraq. I mean it really is laughable that we have come to this. However, one thing you will note is that the General is having a book published whereas I will never claim a penny for expressing my views. I will never sell myself for twenty pieces of silver over the death and destruction visited by us on the Middle East. Fl Lt Kendall-Smith was incarcerated and dishonourably discharged for disobeying orders which many now regard as being illegal. The war was illegal, the occupation is more than part of the problem, it already is a civil war and the bomb in the Iraqi Parliament is no different to the attempt by Guy Fawkes only Guy Fawkes failed and look what happened to him. Tell me how much worse do the politicians want it to be before we admit defeat and retreat.

Hutchings

Maybe just maybe Mr Hutchings may learn that there is a difference between deserting your comrades and obeying illegal orders. Have we learnt nothing from the Nazis other than it is alright to rape and torture in occupied territories. It may not always be our soldiers but we are in a coalition with the Americans. As for being part of the United Nations then where are our blue helmets. What exactly are the rules of engagement.

Tax Credits

so the Conservatives are belatedly complaining about tax changes which were made in the Gordon Brown budget ten years ago are they? Well there is nothing like coming late to the party. Let me tell you something about the tax changes Gordon made effecting our pension funds because I actually worked for a bank in that side of the business.Some of you know that I am retired on a pension from my employer. When my pension was building up you, the taxpayer, through tax benefits to pension funds were actually contributing to my pension. This is not fair and was not and all that Mr Brown did was to make it fairer. Why should poorer taxpayer contribute to making my pension larger.If however, the pension fund invested in government bonds, or Gilts, then from my understanding there is no tax to pay, therefore where should the fund put its money, in government bonds.Finally, let us not forget the banks in this fiasco because surely it is the job of very expensive fund managers to invest wisely. Did they not anticipate the dot com boom and overinvested thus losing pensioners loads of money. As for the actuaries how is it that these very highly paid people did not anticipate the demographic time bomb with regard to an aging population. Same with financial advisers who have got rich on their commissions but take no responsibility for their failures while they sun themselves on the south of France.