MP joins peace vigil

LEWES MP Norman Baker this week joined a CND vigil at the town s war memorial and endorsed the organisation s Justice Not Vengeance message.

Mr Baker, who stood with the placard-holding group on Tuesday, told the Express: I was there because I was invited, but I share their view that those responsible should be brought to justice in a manner that is consistent with international standards.

The vigils have taken place every day at lunchtime and have not met with complete approval. Some observers have taken exception to the war memorial being used for the demonstration.

On Tuesday one motorist shouted: Get in the real world , and a passing pedestrian suggested in no uncertain terms that the war memorial was the wrong place for such an expression of feeling.

The onlooker, who declined to be named, later visited the Express office to express her views about the matter. She said she had lost relatives in the World Trade Centre.

Those at the memorial told her they were there to try to prevent more innocent deaths and that the memorial was therefore appropriate for such a use.

Said Mr Baker this week: The terrorist attacks last week on the United States were the most dreadful the world has seen.

There can be no justification whatso ever for such attacks which killed thousands of innocent people and caused misery and heartache to thousands more.

I strongly support efforts to identify those responsible and bring them to trial for murder. The entire international community, including the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan, should co-operate in this endeavour.

The United Nations, which to date has been somewhat muted, must assert itself and champion this cause.

But Mr Baker added: At the moment, the sympathy of almost the entire world is with the American people and there is a real opportunity for the world to unite to challenge and defeat terrorism. That opportunity, however, could be lost if the US responds in an unfocused manner.

If The US has proof identifying those responsible, let it make that evidence available to the international community.

I am genuinely concerned that if the US launches military action without providing that justification, it may lose international support, which can only help the terrorists.

Any military action taken therefore should have clear and realisable objectives, be justified under international law, and be undertaken with the consent of as much of the world community as possible.

We may pray that those who decide what the US, and UK, response will be will have cool heads and will pursue the terrorists relentlessly, but not recklessly.