Sir, – In his recent piece "Truth is Ireland's vaccine against the Troubles" (Opinion, December 5th), Fintan O'Toole writes that the British army and security services are third in an index of lethality in the conflict in Northern Ireland. He bases this on directly attributable deaths.
Surely one has to consider the unique consequences when acts of terror are committed by trained, professional soldiers under the direction of a chain of command, as part of a sovereign state, and subsequently covered up using the same authority. These acts caused further deaths by accelerating the cycle of violence and fuelling paramilitary activity. – Yours, etc,
STEPHEN TAYLOR,
Killiney,
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Co Dublin.