THE Shuttle/Times & News recently published a photograph and an outline of some of my activities for peace before I went, with more than a million others, to demonstrate in London against war in Iraq. I may say there were quite a few octogenarians there.

The same week you printed a moving story of an event I also witnessed, when an unknown Arab man came to our coach to thank us for what we were doing.

On March 6 you printed a letter from Peter Osborn, in which he asserted that we "liberals" who march are ignorant about the Middle East.

In 1989, as a member of Amnesty International, I wrote to the Iraqi government, objecting to the executions in their country, especially of under-age youths.

Much to my surprise, and to that of Amnesty International's headquarters, I had a reply from the minister for culture, thanking me for my concern, but saying nothing that like that happened in their country.

I was given a list of 31 young people, two of who were only 17 at the time, out of a total of more than 1,000 executed for political offences between 1978 and 1983.

I had no reply this time, and tragically, soon after, Bazoft, journalist with the Observer, was executed in Iraq as a spy.

Another example of my "ignorance" is a letter I wrote to the Shuttle in May 1991, where I highlighted the lucrative sales by Britain, Germany, US and others, of weapons known to be used against their own people (the Kurds) by Iraq and Turkey.

The Conservative minister of state at that time was quoted as saying it was up to the purchasing countries how they used them.

It also takes courage to take the way of peace, and not follow the crowd, though this time the crowd is on the side of peace.

MRS HJ RICHARDSON

Gardners Meadow

Bewdley