I REFUTE RW Waring's ranting response (March 27) to my letter (March 24).

RW Waring claims that I hope "Britain sustains a few more deaths among our armed services". What I actually wrote was: "I hope the USA and Britain sustain a few severe bruises." I used a metaphorical phrase.

In fact, the USA and Britain's reputations were severely "bruised" when the United Nations wouldn't sanction an invasion of Iraq. The Bush/Blair alliance (political and military) has since sustained further ego "bruising" with the degree of resistance in southern Iraq from people expected to welcome the American and British.

If R W Waring still feels my previous letter was disgusting and shouldn't have been published, then perhaps he/she could answer this. Are you also disgusted at the fact that many Iraqi military personnel have already been killed?

Many hundreds more Iraqis, including conscripts, will have to perish if the USA/British alliance is to 'win' a war Bush and Blair chose to start.

Colin S Jeffrey,

East Mount Road,

York.

Updated: 10:58 Wednesday, April 02, 2003