‘False intelligence’ in the past casts doubts on UK poisoning

A ‘‘REALLY principled stance’’ is how National Party leader Simon Bridges (ODT, 29.3.18) describes the hasty scramble, by a diverse array of countries, to expel Russian diplomats for alleged involvement in the extraordinarily elaborate and dramatic Salisbury poisonings.

Besides New Zealand, which was labelled a laughing stock by Mr Bridges, notably absent from this flurry of expulsions is ‘‘the coalition of the willing’s’’ good friends and ‘‘principled’’ allies Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Their abstentions don’t appear to have caused any ripples.

New Zealand is wise to be cautious. The false intelligence used to justify the illegal invasion of Iraq should have taught us to examine the motives of all who profit from weapons and war.

Like the anthrax attacks in 2001, when the United States lost control of its potentially catastrophically damaging militarygrade anthrax virus, and the ensuing panic rewarded the US pharmaceutical industry with a hugely profitable demand for vaccine, there is no proven motive or evidence.

For these reasons, a lack of trust in the process prevails.

Susan Hall

Oamaru

Diseased cows

INTERESTING to read that New Zealand has been importing Mycoplasm (disease) meat for years and the Mycoplasma bovis kill in New Zealand will go on the shelves.

It can go on the shelves, but it must be marketed as such.

That has to be the case for imported beef as well. I lived in the United Kingdom in the 1970s and 1980s and therefore can’t be a blood donor because of the ‘‘mad cow’’ outbreak.

It’s now 30 years later and I still can’t be a donor.

Given the choice of diseased cattle or ones pumped full of hormones, I would choose the latter.

K. Sutherland

Queenstown

BIBLE READING: And the God of all grace . . . will Himself restore you and make you strong. — 1 Peter 5:10.