Stop lorries from plying in bad weather

A reader says Republicans must stop Americans from Getting involved in the Syrian war. Other letter topics: lorries, autism, driving, chemical weapons, Zayed University, cancer.

A reader says lorries should be forced to pull over during poor weather conditions. Randi Sokoloff / The National

Americans do not want to get involved in Syria

I agree with the views expressed in the opinion article US-led action in Syria would empower Iran, not weaken it (May 14).

I hope Republicans will stop getting us involved in the war. Any war launched in the Middle East seems only to empower Iran.

Dr Majid Rafizadeh, the writer of this article, has briefed lawmakers in Washington. I hope he will continue to maintain his stand against any US military involvement in this region when he expresses his views to the media.

Malinda Robinson, US

Lorries pose risk in foggy weather

I narrowly averted an accident when a large lorry, which was doing a U-turn on a dual carriageway on a foggy morning, suddenly stopped for no apparent reason (Fog blamed for 140 crashes on Dubai roads as weather warnings renewed, May 13).

Many cars narrowly escaped a pile-up due to this errant behaviour. Lorry drivers are a menace in poor weather conditions. They should be forced to pull over when visibility is poor.

Nadirshah Ahmed, Dubai

Autism awareness is a necessity

I just want to say that the news article Artists join forces to help fight autism (May 8) is great. It is always good to see awareness campaigns on autism.

However, you cannot fight against autism simply because it is not a disease like cancer. Autism is a condition that people live with throughout their lives.

Our responsibility should be to raise awareness of the condition so that people with autism and their families can be accepted into society.

Name withheld by request

Try to overcome the speed demon

The moment you get a driver's licence and the keys to a car, it is assumed that you are an adult - old enough to drive, old enough to take responsibility (Driver rehab went like clockwork; orange cones were massacred, April 25). People's lives and property are at stake on the road. We must try to overcome our speed demons.

Name withheld by request

Doubts remain on chemical arms

I refer to the opinion article Only 'red line' in Syria is the one that harms US interests (May 10).

The assumption here is that rebels obtained chemical weapons from Syria's reserves. Is it right to think that Israel is less than capable of sending chemical weapons to them? Have we ruled out the possibility of Turkey's involvement in this? Why do we forget the alliance between rebels in Libya and Syria?

The Libyan army claimed sarin and mustard gas were used on the Libyan people by rebels and Nato forces.

Bani Walid, in particular, endured many nasty attacks from the Misurata brigade, as well as Nato and others.

Sirte came under heavy attacks. Outside forces brought massive destruction and deaths to these places. Why don't we assume that while Nato imposed a weapons embargo on Libya, it looked the other way as its members such as France supplied arms to the rebels?

Ursula Riches, UK

Zayed University is a role model

Like any other academic institution, Zayed University has expectations from its students and faculty. Regular visits by the vice president, Dr Suleiman Aljassim, to both male and female campuses show how dedicated and involved the administration is when it comes to student affairs.

The vice president carefully listens to what ZU students have to say, whether they are compliments or opinions on various matters concerning the university.

The liberty of students to talk and express themselves freely and the ability to have their opinions taken into consideration are some of the aspects that make ZU a well-connected community. These also help young people to develop critical thinking skills.

I urge the administration to continue with its current practices and to make them more frequent.

Khadeeja Khaled Al Hosani, Abu Dhabi

Cancer demands quick action

If you take time to decide what to do after you get cancer, it might be too late (Star tells of her tough decision, May 15). Individuals who have no idea about cancer should not pass a judgement on one's personal decisions.

Greta Yvonne Duffield, Sharjah