Letter: Seized 'triggers' have peaceful uses

HAVING BEEN A defence witness in the Iraqi 'Nuclear Triggers'/Ali Daghir trial, and having had the opportunity to study all the trial documents, I am surprised that your journalists are perpetuating the myth that nuclear bomb 'triggers' were seized by customs at Heathrow airport in 1990. ('How they are related . . .', 27 December)

The information circulating in the media at the time of Ali Daghir's arrest and leading up to his trial was completely untrue. Kryton Nuclear Triggers were never ordered from Euromac, Ali Daghir's company, but were only mentioned in telephone calls by the US customs officer, Dan Supnik, during a 'sting' operation. The items which were the eventual subject of this trial turned out to be capacitors, electronic components which have many purposes and are freely available.

My company uses them in the manufacture of high-speed photoflash equipment and I can think of several other purposes where they can be employed.

Although most secondary uses would be in research, there has never been any proof that they had any military purpose, let alone as nuclear bomb components.

Ali Daghir has been given bail pending his appeal this year.

A K G Tilford

Norwich