There are limits. A "Name and address supplied" writer accused me of omitting facts and hating the US (Letters, October 2).

In the case of the former, this may be because of the amount of column space one can reasonably expect to occupy.

Nor do I hate the US - or any other country - but I do despise those who claim to be always right when there are always two sides to a coin.

I was not attempting to justify the terrible acts of last month any more than the terror in Vietnam.

But innocents in the US were asking "why?" and, like millions of other fair-minded people who try to take an unbiased view, I was merely trying to explain why, in my humble opinion, this terrible action was taken.

You cannot simply go on in life bombing or bullying because you are virtually impregnable and then complain when, eventually, someone does a similar terrible act to you.

I repeat, it doesn't justify such action but I'm sure it goes some way to explain it. "Honi soit qui mal y pense" (Shame on him who thinks this evil).

-Harold Parkin, Horam, Heathfield