Sir, - We have all been appalled by the dreadful terrorist attacks in the US in which over 6,000 lives were lost, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families.
While not diminishing our horror and our sympathy one iota, it is instructive to compare these acts of terror on a per capita basis with those suffered by the people of Northern Ireland.
In round figures, 250 million people live in the US and 1.5 million in Northern Ireland. The terrorist attack in Omagh alone claimed 29 lives, the equivalent of 4,600 lives in the US. Add the number lost in Enniskillen, and the equivalent in just two bombings is more than the 6,000 lost on September 11th.
Since 1969 over 2,000 deaths have been caused by terrorists in Northern Ireland. The equivalent in the United States would have been over 300,000.
What does this say about attitudes to terrorists and terrorism on this island of ours, and about those who have connections with the terrorists and refuse to condemn their acts of terrorism? - Yours, etc.,
Philip R. Jacob, Abingdon, Shankill, Dublin 18.