SIR – Mr Boyes (Letters, January 5) suggests that I have a naive view of 20th century history. He says that soldiers are trained to kill and are ordered to do so by superiors and politicians.

Fair point Mr Boyes.

However soldiers are not trained to kill innocent civilians.

The task of killing civilians was handed to the SS because the German high command became concerned about the long-term psychological effects on regular soldiers who were acting under orders.

At the Nuremberg trials the Waffen SS was branded a criminal organisation.

No doubt there were SS men who settled here in the aftermath of WW2.

Mr Boyes says that extremists and terrorists in Britain need a firm hand taken to them.

I agree in principle but is the creation of a death squad really the way forward?

Also has Mr Boyes ever considered that the Government may well be using the threat of terrorism as a way of getting support when its popularity is on the wane?

Recently the Government told us that 40 possible terror plots had been foiled.

However there seems to be a deafening silence from both the Government and police regarding prosecutions under various anti-terrorist laws that exist.

Gerrard Myers, Raven Street, Bingley