LETTER: Human rights: Britain's obligations and aberrations

From Mr Tim Willcocks

Sir: With regard to the coverage you give to the Strasbourg ruling (reports, 28 September), one essential point seems to have been missed.

To the IRA, the conflict was war. They say that their prisoners are political or prisoners of war. IRA members are members of an organisation that has been involved in killing people.

The three unfortunate members of the IRA killed by the SAS in Gibraltar were actively involved in fighting a war against that army and its government, and were killed by that army in the process.

All war is terrible and unnecessary, but where the players accept that state, they must be prepared for the consequences.

Will the families of the victims of IRA and loyalist terror groups now be flocking to Strasbourg for a similar ruling against those groups?

No, they will not.

Yours faithfully,

Tim Willcocks

Hastings

28 September