ES Views: We need a measured and calm response to attacks

It appears that perhaps the American policy of heavy bombing in areas of the so-called Caliphate has been misguided.

Islamic State may have lost most of its territory due to little protection from aerial bombardment but it is now turning to bombing and attacking civilians in Europe. London, Paris, Nice, Brussels, Barcelona and Turku have all now been targeted. The freedom of movement means it is much more difficult for governments to control and prevent these attacks.

It is vital that we do not give IS what it wants and fall into the trap of turning against our Muslim citizens, most of whom are horrified that these atrocities are being carried out in the name of Islam.
Valerie Crews

I am staying close to Barcelona on holiday but wasn’t caught up in what happened on Friday. Not a single politician on any side here in Spain has attempted to make political capital out of the shocking and tragic events. The reaction of the Spanish media has also been calm and measured.

Yet back home, Zac Goldsmith has intimated that Momentum is somehow linked to the events by retweeting his brother’s assertion to this effect. Once again, Goldsmith has proved he was totally unfit to be the Mayor of London.

He should apologise forthwith or expect the condemnation of MPs on all sides for his disgraceful and unfounded slur.
Chris Key

In response to your lead article [“Travel shares in plunge on Spain terror attacks”, August 18], the second paragraph should read “terrorists” rather than “Islamists”. I think it is now accepted practice not to blame an entire religion for the fanaticism of the few.
Dick O’Dell

One of the lessons not mentioned in your article [“Lessons from Las Ramblas”, August 18] is that kowtowing to the terrorists’ demands to disengage from intervention in Islamic countries — as Spain did after the Madrid train bombings in 2004 — doesn’t work.

This explodes the myth that Islamists only target countries that “deserve it”. Appeasement never works.
Stan Labovitch

In your article on the Barcelona terror attacks [August 18] you refer to victims as being “killed”. Isn’t it about time the media used the term “murdered”, given that these insane cowards are nothing more than cold- blooded killers?
John Ward

Top marks to the Spanish authorities for opening Las Ramblas so quickly after the terrorist atrocity.
Mark Williams

Our knowledge of sciences is woeful

Anne McElvoy is correct in advocating the need for more education in languages in Britain, and I believe oral and aural foreign-language education should start at age seven. However, this must not be at the expense of a basic understanding of science.

The extent of the scientific ignorance of most of our politicians, senior civil servants and journalists and other media people is as embarrassing as it is dangerous. What is worse, there seems to be no shame in admitting this ignorance or in confessing that one “cannot” do the simplest arithmetic, with the exception of people with acalculia.

This is the result of a completely arts-orientated education, which ought not to be allowed.
Marie Parker

EU does not need to punish the EU

Christopher Knott [Letters, August 18] states that Brexit is justified because the EU is seeking to punish the UK for leaving. The EU is not punishing the UK: it is demonstrating to the world that we can do that all by ourselves.

In this case, any suggestion that the UK is being punished sounds more like a teenager wanting to leave the parental home and whingeing when parents point out that there won’t be cooked meals, washed clothes and pocket money when they leave.

The UK needs to accept before the negotiations reach a pivotal stage that, unlike Boris Johnson’s pronouncement, it cannot have its cake and eat it. The UK must stop blaming others for the potential consequences of leaving the EU.
Antero Touchard

Night Tube is not all a great success

The Night Tube might well be a huge success but not as far as the Piccadilly line is concerned.

I gave up waiting on Saturday morning and was told by a member of staff that this was due to a “shortage of drivers”. Thankfully, the good old night bus got me home.

Transport for London should admit to running a poor service.
Martin Welborne

Planners to blame for traffic chaos

Having returned to driving a minicab after a number of years, I am amazed at how difficult planners have made it to complete the simplest of journeys. Roads have been narrowed, blocked and rerouted, but when I found out about the closing of Bank Junction, I felt compelled to write this letter.

Where in the council manifesto did it say that it was going to create this amount of havoc for people already doing difficult jobs? Getting people from A to B as quickly and safely as possible is a vital function of the London economy and planners should be take this into consideration when proposing these schemes.
Frank Tripp

I live in Staines-upon-Thames, and in order to work a range of shifts covering a 24/7 operation at Heathrow Terminal 5, I use two buses to get to work. One of these, the 441 route operated by Abellio, is being drastically modified on September 2, meaning a big portion of the area will be without any bus service to transport airport workers.

Despite several email exchanges with Heathrow Airport, Abellio and my local MP, it would appear that not only are the plans proceeding but also no alternatives are being put in place. I cannot quite believe that in these days of efficient transport links, those of us who rely on public transport are being let down by this short-sighted plan.
Tandy Hopes

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Great start to Spurs' Wembley season

The atmosphere at Wembley for Tottenham Hotspur’s first home game of the season on Sunday was truly magnificent, even if the full allocation of tickets was not sold. There may only have been around 3,000 Chelsea fans present, but this felt more like an FA Cup final than a London derby.

This was a fiercely contested match with a late winner and featuring some of the best players in the world and two of the best managers in the league in Antonio Conte and Mauricio Pochettino. If this is what we can expect at Wembley, then perhaps I should reserve my seat.
Jeff Powell

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