Letter: In Brief

Sir: Your piece, "Britain backs `hidden war' against Iraq" (25 August) highlights the extent to which the UK and US governments regard themselves as "the international community". John Spellar, Minister of State for Defence, claims that the no-fly zones are "international zones designed by the international community". In fact, these zones were implemented and are enforced by the US and UK alone with no UN ratification. By whose mathematics do two governments representing less than 10 per cent of the world's population become "the international community"?

RICHARD BYRNE

Ilford, Essex