From Cotrelli Barnett Sir: Since Mark Steyn was kind enough
to refer to me in his latest rant in your journal ('The triumph of George W. Bush', 27 December) he might have checked his facts first: I am not, and have never been, a 'professor'.
I realise that Steyn, as a pseudo-American Bush disciple, hopes that the capture of Saddam Hussein will prove a turning-point in the imperial conquest of Iraq by the United States. It is, however, far too early to judge. At the moment, the American occupation forces are continuing to suffer a trickle of casualties in body-bags, while the recent slaughter of a group of Iraqi policemen by trigger-happy 'grunts' will do little to win Iraqi hearts and minds. Moreover, the crass American decision to beam round the world the film of Saddam having his mouth probed and his hair searched for lice will be taken by the Arab and Islamic world as yet another Western insult calling for revenge.
In any case, the capture of Saddam has already led to the fresh complication of where and by what court he is to be tried. As for Steyn himself, I cannot understand why he seems in such a perpetual paddy in regard to Bush's Washington and the so-called 'war on terror'. Calm down, Steyn, old boy!
Correlli Barnett
East Carleton, Norwich
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