Special report: Terrorism in the US

Wednesday September 12, 2001
The Guardian

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Despite all the accumulated intelligence available on terrorist organisations and all the defensive precautions, a new, terrible demonstration of the vulnerability of modern society has just occurred, with implications for the world's economy and stability more far-reaching than the immediate tragic loss of life.
I hope this outrage may yet persuade President Bush of the futility of investing billions of dollars in a missile defence system to protect the US from nuclear attacks from rogue states. Surely the cost of sustaining world civilisation in terms of aid and investment is less than the price of maintaining conflict and adversity.

Laurence Courtney
Faversham, Kent
laucourt1@tinyworld.co.uk

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The terrorist attacks are the price we pay for ignoring the wisdom of the founders of this country as expressed by Thomas Jefferson: Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliance with none. Stop making enemies and we won't have to worry about terrorism. Vote libertarian.

Bill Holmes
Carlsbad, California
wtholmes@compuserve.com

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Despite the horrific loss of life in Manhattan and other parts of the US, the Bush administration must not overreact by retaliating against the usual suspects until they have incontrovertible evidence as to who was responsible. Killing the wrong people will neither assuage the undoubted anger of the American people nor ensure that such atrocities will not be repeated.

WR Jackson
Nottingham
bill.j@ntlworld.com