Letter: Bombers with a lost cause

Sir: A movement that wages war on children shopping for Mother's Day presents has lost its cause. It cannot win now because it has demonstrated not only its inability to prevail against any but the softest targets, but a complete lack of political clear-sightedness.

Until now, there have been people prepared to voice disquiet over the Government's handling of Northern Ireland, and to support the view that the case for Republicanism should at least be discussed, but I suspect that these voices will be fewer and fewer with each such attack, and quite rightly.

The bombers cannot be convinced of the rightness of their cause (they cannot be very brave either), if they are not prepared to pit themselves against well-protected political targets - which they, demonstrably, are not.

Our sympathies are overwhelmingly and unquestioningly with the victims and their families, and the injustices of Northern Ireland (for I believe there are many) are forgotten beside their loss.

Yours sincerely,

VERA BURGESS

Liverpool

22 March