Flights of fancy in defence of the realm

The ridiculous suggestion that Scotland would be vulnerable to a 9/11-style attack if it leaves the Union (your report, 4 July) suggests that the word “numpty” has come into its own.

We now have supporters of the Union continuously insulting the intelligence of the Scottish electorate and directing their defence of the status quo unerringly at the thick and the feart.

The notion that the huge, powerful US could not guard against a 9/11 attack but little Scotland would be safe from such as long as it stays part of UK is absurd.

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Why would anybody want to attack Scotland anyway? Two reasons spring to mind, the first being our taking part, as a partner in the UK, in two disgraceful invasions of countries with which we have no argument and the hundreds of thousands of dead, innocent civilians that have been the result of that.

The other is the huge nuclear arms dump about 30 miles from our biggest city which makes us number one target in the event of a nuclear war.

Independence clears up both of these issues but, I fear, before we get there, we will have to face a numpty army stumbling about for the next two years armed only with nonsense.

Dave McEwan Hill

Sandbank

Argyll

Experts have told parliament that Scotland could not afford suitable aircraft to prevent terrorist attacks.

The first question to be posed is: why do they assume that Scotland could not afford such aircraft? The second question is: who are these terrorists and why would they wish to attack Scotland?

Terrorists who are in a position to make major attacks do so when they feel they have very serious reason for anger.

Why would al-Qaeda, for instance, want to attack Scotland? Is an independent Scotland going to assist in neo-colonial invasions of Middle Eastern countries?

Very doubtful. I foresee no aircraft flying into the Scott Monument or Stirling Castle.

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Oil rigs could be a target, but I suspect such an attack would be intended as an attack on Europe rather than Scotland, making a horrible, oily mess in the North Sea.

Scotland, as well as being responsible for 9 per cent of the national debt will also be the beneficiary of 9 per cent of the assets and that includes military materiel.

In the matter of shipbuilding, the defence experts are on rather safer ground. We have two defence shipbuilding yards in Scotland. Would England wish to place defence contracts with them? Possibly.

Does England currently have sufficient yards for its own needs? Possibly.

It seems that the UK is not now in a position to maintain its defence profile and this would almost certainly mean the closure of one of our defence yards if we remained within Britain.

Scottish defence yards might be able to look to other countries for defence work, or if they learn to trim their costs, which are currently aimed at the milch cow which is the Ministry of Defence, commercial work.

All this froth about defence is designed to sow panic in oor breastie; it winna ding.

R Mill Irving

Station Road

Gifford, East Lothian

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