17 OCTOBER 1970, Page 19

Terrorist treatment

Sir: I find it extraordinary that Mr (ledwyn Williams (3 October) can somehow conclude that the Prime Minister, by holding in custody someone who attempted to murder 150 people in an aircraft, has caused airliners to be destroyed and brought suffering to hostages. In view of the blowing-up of the jumbo jet in Cairo immediately after it had landed, I wonder what makes Mr Williams think that the other aircraft would not also have received the same equally pointless treatment; or why the terrorists would have given up the hostages, once they knew they could easily exact any ransom they wanted for them.

There is plenty of sympathy for the genuine Arab refugees, but it is unfortunate for them that they are associated with terrorists who unjustifiably claim to represent them. The lack of sympathy is for the terrorists who habitually and callously use innocent people for their ends whether by taking them hostage, by conducting a civil war from their midst, or by just killing schoolchildren in buses.