Madam, - W.G.A. Scott (February 4th) says, quite rightly, that in the current "war against the occupying forces" in Iraq, civilians, women and children are being caught in between, resulting in horrible and almost daily carnage. However, he claims that these killings are "by the Americans in particular". He could not be more wrong.
Since the occupation began, suicide bombers have been used to devastating effect by insurgents in urban centres. And the suicide bombings and mortar attacks against US bases and compounds have almost always ended up killing innocent Iraqi civilians. Indeed, in most of these attacks it is Iraqis only who end up killed and injured.
It is true that American soldiers have acted rashly sometimes, with shameful results, and Mr Scott is correct and understanding in his reasons for this. However, making a swingeing statement claiming most of the indiscriminate slaughter in Iraq is by the Americans is totally unjustifiable. - Yours, etc.,
MACDARA DWYER, Ardmore Park, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.