26 APRIL 2003, Page 32

The grandest larceny

From Mr Tom Sackville Sir: Rod Liddle (The day of the jackals', 19 April) appears to make the following accusation. A group of art-dealing Republican party supporters/backers engaged a local criminal gang to loot selected items from the Iraqi National Museum, having first persuaded the White House to ensure that the US marines were looking the other way.

Call me old-fashioned, but to charge the commander-in-chief of our principal allies in a war with aiding and abetting such a felony is strong stuff. Can we expect either convincing evidence or a graceful withdrawal within, say, two months from now?

Tom Sackville London SW1