I Am concerned about the proposed 'anti terrorist' legislation. In the 1980s Margaret Thatcher called Nelson Mandela 'a dangerous terrorist'. Mandela, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, is now one of the most highly-regarded statesmen of our age. Should we ban him from the country?

Gerry Adams MP was barred by Thatcher from speaking on radio and television because of his association with the IRA. Yet it was dialogue with him and others that has led to the improved situation in Northern Ireland.

The state of Israel was founded by terrorists in the 1940s who murdered British soldiers and Palestinian civilians. Israel is the first to complain about 'terrorism' and uses it to justify its barbaric suppression of the Palestinians. Who is the terrorist here?

The US has promoted terrorism more than any other country. The Contras in Nicaragua were a terrorist group funded by the US. The CIA funded Bin Laden and trained his troops in terrorist tactics in Afghanistan.

There were no terrorists in Iraq before the illegal war. Now there is daily carnage. Perhaps we should include George Bush on our list of 'undesirables' to be barred entry to this country?

I utterly condemn the recent suicide bombings in London, but we must not use this as an excuse for ill-considered legislation.

The word 'terrorist' depends on your point of view. History will judge, but history has already shown Thatcher and the US to have been wrong.

Let's not make the same mistakes again.

Dave Berkeley,

Tower Place, York

Updated: 09:37 Tuesday, August 09, 2005