Freedoms endangered

Dr JR Calder (Letters, 25 November) outlines some of the consequences of "an attempt to create a climate of fear and paranoia, in which a government ‘tough on terrorism’ can coast to re-election victory". While legitimate concern and preventative action is essential, a "culture of fear" endangers the very freedoms terrorists seek to destroy.

A good example is the introduction of identity cards based on biometric information. Biometric identification is being sold as infallible, but as the saga of Shirley McKie has shown, it is not.

We have a police service, Crown Office and Scottish Executive which, for eight years, continued to support the Scottish Criminal Records Office experts who made two false fingerprint identi-fications that led to her persecution and a life sentence for David Asbury for the murder of Marion Ross.

If we cannot trust our forensic experts and those who control them in times of "peace", what price our individual freedoms in a growing "culture of fear" where biometrics rule?

IAIN AJ McKIE

South Beach Road

Ayr