Airport security becomes more challenging

The new "underwear bombs" will make air travel even more difficult, a reader warns. Other letter topics: Emirates ID cards, Syria, violent children, blood money, Haj subsidies and Israel.

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I refer to the report Emirates Authority apologises for ID card pickup delay (May 9).

It is really difficult to understand how things work at the Emirates ID Authority. I have many colleagues who have endured real nightmares trying to get their cards. One person's card had expired by the time he was notified to pick it up.

But many other colleagues applied, and had their cards within 10 days. I can see no pattern to the two kinds of results. My own experience was in-between: a two-month delay.

The Emirates ID card is a good idea. I much prefer carrying it in my wallet to having to carry my passport any time I do any official business. But a lot of us will be pleased when they work the bugs out of the system.

Kulhan Beyler, Abu Dhabi

Without goodwill, observers useless

Who would have good reason to try to blow up a UN observer team in Syria? (UN monitors miss roadside bomb blast by moments, May 10). The side that is suffering civilian casualties? Or the regime?

The question answers itself, doesn't it? If force protection becomes an issue, the already-delayed influx of observers will be slowed, dooming the project.

As Gen Robert Mood has already noted, no number of observers can impose peace; only the goodwill of the parties can do that. And it is ever more clear that there is no goodwill from the regime.

Angie Dementidis, Abu Dhabi

Parents share blame in attack

The school where the little girl was attacked cannot be held solely responsible for the event (School where 11-year-old girl was attacked could be shut down, May 8).

The parents of the four boys also need to answer. What if this incident had happened outside the school, or after school hours?

Parents are primarily responsible for raising responsible children.

It's not rare to see very violent children (some quite young but very dangerous) on the streets.

They sometimes attack innocent children in our neighbourhood, snatching bicycles and toys and scratching cars. They have no manners and no consideration.

Such children - and their parents - should be punished. We are actually scared to send our children out to play and have wondered how we can put an end to this.

Binu Balakrishnan, Sharjah

Victim's daughter has tough choice

I understand that the blood money system is an attempt at fairness. I can empathise with the daughter in the news story Woman calls for death sentence after killer's father waives right (May 9).

The killer has changed the lives of his own family and his wife's.

This is all very sad. Now his fate lies with a daughter who feels she must take a stand and afford her family some sort of justice. I hope she finds peace.

Monica Carver, Dubai

Win the arms race against bombers

The first underwear bomber was kind of ludicrous, but nobody I know is laughing about this new attempt at blowing airplanes out of the sky (Double agent foiled bomb plot, May 10).

The vigilance of security forces is heartening, but it cannot be 100 per cent effective over time. Sooner or later, these lunatics will succeed again.

What's next? Full body MRI scans for each passenger before each flight? There have to be ways to control this threat. And I believe there will be: in this arms race civilisation has far deeper resources than the few madmen holed up in caves or furtive laboratories.

Still, what a waste of time and effort.

Ian Alleby, Dubai

Welcome reaction after court ruling

It is a mark of political maturity, in my opinion, that most Muslims in India seem to be accepting the court ruling ending handouts to religious pilgrims (Muslim support for ending Haj subsidy, May 10).

The Supreme Court based its decision on sophisticated analysis, which helps ease the blow.

Also, discontinuing the subsidy will save India's treasury Dh478 million a year, which is welcome news in hard times.

VJ Mehta, Dubai

Israeli leader is bad for peace

Your comment article Israel's back-room deal strengthens an authoritarian trend (May 9) prompts me to say that Benjamin Netanyahu is bad for world peace.

When did Israel become so inflexible?

Let's hope more of Israel's minor parties speak out against a military strike on Iran.

Frederick Melick, Australia