Spain is vulnerable to disaffected young men from North Africa

SIR – Spain’s geography and history make the terrorist outrage in Barcelona not entirely unexpected. The surprise might be that Spain has largely escaped the activities of Islamic extremists over the past decade.

No European country is closer to North Africa than Spain. Compared with Libya, countries such as Morocco and Algeria may be relatively stable, but they also contain large numbers of unemployed and disaffected young people, vulnerable to an extremist ideology that, while condemning Western decadence, leaves the economic allure of a life in Europe firmly in place.

Hence the almost daily encounters with the Spanish authorities as thousands of migrants seek to breach the borders into Spain’s North African territories, Ceuta and Melilla, in order to seek asylum.

It is also the case that for several centuries much of Spain formed the Islamic territory of al-andalus, which became a caliphate ruled from Cordoba. In the twisted minds of some extremists there exists a far-fetched plan to recreate such a caliphate. Paul Dolan

Almeria, Spain

SIR – I dare say we shall soon hear people who refuse to acknowledge the truth but say the attack in Barcelona was nothing to do with Islam. Margaret Robinson

London SE9

SIR – Nowhere in Europe, including the United Kingdom, is safe from terrorist attacks. In mainland Europe, police are generally armed, allowing an instant armed response. Surely it is time for every British police officer to carry side-arms, enabling them to respond similarly, saving their own lives and protecting innocent civilians from terrorists who are happy to kill and maim indiscriminately. Michael Edwards

Haslemere, Surrey

SIR – One way of lessening terrorists’ use of hired vehicles would be to introduce a law requiring every hirer to be photographed when they visit the hire office, with their face clearly identifiable. Even if this did not deter the terrorist, it could help identify them or their close associates. Tim Bristol

Ely, Cambridgeshire

SIR – There is little chance of identifying and stopping potential terrorists. However, we can limit the damage they do by identifying vulnerable crowded pavements and, where necessary, installing steel posts at intervals on the edges. Professor Ralph Benjamin

Exmouth, Devon

SIR – The anti-tourist demonstrators in Barcelona last week, inspired by feelings of self-importance and grievance, might like to consider what is actually important in life, now that a number of visitors to their city are lying in mortuaries. Michael R Gordon

Bewdley, Worcestershire