THE recent article by Mr Pittock was very interesting, if only for the Taliban propaganda and inaccuracies that it contained.

The exact number killed in the New York atrocity of September 11 may never be known, but 3,000 seems to be on the low side.

Four thousand innocent civilians killed in Afghanistan is a figment of the imagination of the Taliban supporters in Pakistan, that was dreamed up a mere week or so after our retaliatory strikes began, never to be altered from that day to this. By their not wearing uniform, if you remove the weapons and bandoliers from a group of dead al Qaida bandits, then photograph them, you are left with a group of "innocent civilians" killed on their way to the mosque, where they were going to pray for peace and prosperity in the world, aren't you?

To suggest that such people are entitled to PoW status is to turn common sense on its head. The idea that prisoners taken by the Americans should be held under the terms of the Geneva Convention is to give them an equal standing with honourable soldiers, and should be treated with contempt.

The Nuremberg Trials of Nazi war leaders and others laid down the principle that every man must answer for his own actions, and the defence of "only obeying orders" was no longer acceptable.

The Americans therefore must have the right to question their captives individually.

It is my fervent hope that none of them are released from American custody until a thorough investigation separates terrorist from "innocent fellow traveller". I especially hope that none are released to be dealt with by the courts of this country, for they will all, innocent or guilty, be walking the streets within days. We have enough terrorists walking the streets of England, free from the threat of prosecution, as it is.

Mr F Isherwood

Latham Road

Blackrod, Bolton