The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi a reminder that we can no longer turn a blind eye to Saudi Arabia’s regime

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

The disappearance of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi from his country’s consulate in Istanbul, which comes only a week after a German court ordered the extradition of an Iranian diplomat to France accused of involvement in a planned terrorist bombing, reminds us that Russia is far from the only state that is a major danger to peace and Western interests.

That the president of Turkey has accused the Saudi government of sending a team of 15 agents to torture and murder Mr Khashoggi in the consulate is remarkable. That both states are western allies in the world’s most dangerous region makes this especially worrying.

We obsess about Russian espionage, while we have for decades ignored the deeply malign influence of Saudi Arabia, which has spent vast sums of money spreading the least tolerant interpretations of Islam, and this has inevitably led to the terrorist atrocities across the west since 9/11.

Similarly, we ignore the malign influence of Iran, which makes any progress towards Israeli/Palestinian peace impossible by sponsoring the terrorist movements Hamas and Hezbollah.

We need a more realistic view of the threats facing us in an increasingly chaotic and dangerous world, and we need to spend a great deal more money on countering them.

Otto Inglis
Edinburgh

The perils of toxic masculinity

It’s not often I agree with a Jenny Eclair piece, but after the latest Trump/Kavanaugh debacle and the countless others she includes, it’s hard not to feel furious at the nature of this sordid media backslapping that goes on in certain circles. This toxic male culture must die.

David Murphy
Address supplied

Brexit will break up the United Kingdom

It is interesting to note that Theresa May’s determination to keep the United Kingdom together will be at great risk due to Brexit.

Scotland will seek independence after being taken out of the European Union against the nation’s wishes. Scotland will then seek to rejoin the EU.

A significant proportion of the Welsh population are even suggesting a break away post-Brexit, and there is now a majority in Northern Ireland wanting to unite with the south in order to remain in the EU, and retain the support they receive from it.

It is just 10 DUP fanatical “unionists” who are propping up May’s government who want to stay in the UK and take the UK out of the EU.

These 10 politicians not only represent a minority of Northern Irish people, they are also holding the balance of power in the entire United Kingdom.

The most pertinent message to the people of England who voted to leave and break up a united Europe is – “be careful what you wish for”. Because what you wish for will not only begin the tragic breakup of a very young united Europe, it will also precipitate the break up of an old and fragile United Kingdom.

Martin Deighton
Woodbridge

Nicola Sturgeon’s hyperbole is becoming harder to swallow

Preparing her setpiece speech for the SNP conference, Nicola Sturgeon had a dilemma. She had to ensure she did not say anything too specific about what her audience really wanted to hear about, namely indyref2. Equally, she had to side step the daily news of drift in the public services that are so clearly feeling the effects of the heavy hand of 11 years of SNP rule. Yet somehow the first minister needed to ensure what she delivered would be stirring stuff for the SNP faithful.

Then she turned to her trusted dictionary of hyperbole and found the way out. Looking up all the best of good and bad words she then sprinkled them into her speech to ensure the most extreme contrast possible between the SNP and the UK governments, and between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK.

So, she told us an independent Scotland offers “a beacon of progressive values”, while the UK government and the rest of the UK – now always referred to collectively by the SNP as “Westminster” – know only an “unfolding calamity” and “despair”. She went on to explain that through the SNP’s vision of “optimism and hope” an independent Scotland would offer “equality, opportunity, diversity, and fairness”. A true nationalist nirvana then, but as far removed from the realities of day to day life in Scotland as it is possible to imagine. Presumably, if we can just find it in ourselves to give the SNP the absolute power it craves, all of these wonders will appear like a mirage out of the Scottish mist.

Keith Howell
West Linton

Treating Scotland like a second-class nation?

Ian Blackford, SNP leader in the Commons, has threatened “maximum disruption” if the government allegedly continues to “treat Scotland as a second-class nation”. Addressing the SNP faithful and getting into his stride, he fulminated: “The Tories think they can do whatever they want to Scotland and get away with it”. Yes, the wicked Tories are providing Scotland with the extra £13.4bn over and above what Scots generate in revenue, and are thereby keeping Scottish public services afloat. What rotters!

Blackford seems unaware that the best way to deal with spoilt kids who drum their heels on the floor and shout “I want! I want!” is to ignore them. If he and his colleagues want to walk out of parliament again, let them. It could make the voting arithmetic a lot clearer.

Jill Stephenson
Edinburgh

Shaun Bailey’s bid for London mayor

It would appear that the Conservatives didn’t do their due diligence when it came to picking Shaun Bailey as their mayoral candidate.

Theresa May last week talked about the Conservatives being the party which could bring the country together.

Bailey once wrote that single mums “deliberately become pregnant” for free flats and benefits. He also suggested that becoming a single Mum had become “a cottage industry”.

He also suggested that allowing Hindus and Muslims to have time off would rob Britain of its community and turn the country into a “crime ridden cesspool”.

Zac Goldsmith’s 2016 campaign now looks remarkably liberal by comparison.

Chris Key
London TW12