I congratulate Hugh Bayley. He has written a whole column about the Iraq war and not once mentioned weapons of mass destruction (March 25).

In case he has forgotten, I should like to remind him that Tony Blair told us the reason for going to war was because Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, which could be deployed in 45 minutes.

Now that it has been shown there are no weapons, Hugh Bayley and others who wanted war are looking for other justifications.

He also repeats the canard that resolution 1441 backed war. It did not; the only reason it was passed unanimously was because France and Syria said it could not be used as a trigger for war.

I ask Mr Bayley if 1441 backed war, why did Mr Blair try so desperately (and fail so spectacularly) to get a second resolution?

B Emmerson,

Charles Street,

Selby.

Updated: 10:43 Monday, March 29, 2004