C K Lal has it all wrong in "The eagle is wounded" (#61). Saying that President George W Bush and his advisors have not understood the enormity of the shock and horror among the people in America and all over the world! That "nearly four-fifth of humanity" think that America stands for what is evil in this world! That the carnage of September 11 was not an act of terror! That "warmongers" in Washington and London are trivialising the impact of this human catastrophe! That President Bush's "we are at war" declaration resounds with false bravado! Comparing this incident with a movie! Justifying such a horrendous act and glorifying those who were responsible for it! The respected and thoughtful journalist that he is, it doesn't look as if Mr Lal wrote this piece himself. Does he have a ghostwriter, or does he have a grudge against the United States, its policies, its people and what it stands for?

Dr Roop Jyoti
MP, Upper House

I agree with CK Lal's "The Eagle is wounded" (#61). How meek our South Asian leaders have proved themselves to be by aligning themselves with Americans at the wrong time for all the wrong reasons, while leaving our neighbour to die by the same hands that have been slapping them for years. Today Afghanistan, that also without any tangible proof, tomorrow who..?

Ravi Tandukar
by email

CK Lal in "The eagle is wounded" misunderstands the whole point of Americans calling the attacks an act of war. When adjectives in the English vocabulary fail to describe the horror of the crime what else can you call it?

"Sajju"
Pennsylvania, USA

CK Lal calls Samuel Huntington's theory of "clash of civilizations" racist. Followers of different religions or belonging to a civilization are not confined to a particular racial or ethnic group. Just goes to show Lal's utter ignorance and his habit of making sweeping generalisations.

Prakash A Raj
Kathmandu

I am concerned that if/when the US launches a ground assault on the Taliban, Gurkhas might be made to revisit their old battle theatre of Afghanistan as part of a British contingent. The presence of Gurkhas in Afghanistan might attract unwanted attention towards Nepal. It is high time that both Britain and India acknowledged and respected Nepal's geopolitical compulsions vis-a-vis Gurkhas.

Ram Limbu
Manly, Australia

Part of the fun of reading CK Lal each week is trying to guess where his keen and unpredictable mind will land on any given issue. But this week, add me to the long and distinguished list of those who Honourable Lal has angered at least once. The world's relationship with America is complex, but the vast majority of people everywhere do not hate us arrogant cowboys enough to commit or condone civilian terror attacks. Lal says "it is impossible to take a moral high ground against those who willingly eliminate themselves for their faith". I disagree. It may be impossible to stop violent acts by supremely motivated people, whether their motivation is faith or something else. But it is possible and indeed necessary to denounce mass murder whatever the motivation. There are many mistakes America needs to ponder. But forbearance to the point of leaving these criminals at leisure to strike again would be folly, not only for America but for the world.

John Child
by email