Paul Blanchard's views about the "realities" of ID cards and terrorism reminds me of his statements on Iraq.

Thanks to your excellent online archive I am able to re-read Mr Blanchard's letter of Wednesday January 29 2003.

He said "Saddam is developing, and holds, biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction".

Perhaps Mr. Blanchard is now hoping to save us from another phantom threat?

He also said "like the people of Afghanistan, the Iraqis will be the first to thank us".

I can't help calling Mr Blanchard's reality into question.

There didn't seem to be many grateful Afghanis in 2003 and there aren't many Iraqis now thanking us for the death and destruction that has been brought upon them.

Jim Semlyen,

Grange Street, York.

Updated: 10:52 Monday, January 10, 2005