Many hundreds of people emailed the site's Talking Point feature after the bombings started on Wednesday night - 63% voting no to the question "Are the bombings just?"

Briton Andrew Spink, emailing from the Netherlands, said "Bombing civilians is wrong - particularly in this case where it appears the US deliberately picked a fight, maybe even because of internal US politics."

Andy Hinkinson, in the UK, said: "It's exceptionally clear that once again military action is being undertaken that will not affect Saddam in the slightest. Only the people of Iraq will suffer and there are no signs they will rise up against him."

Terry Smith, also in the UK, agrees. "I believe that the Iraqi government has offered its full co-operation with arms inspectors. They have handed in numerous documents regarding this matter. But last night's actions where there simply to save the US president's neck."

However, there is a sizeable minority who feels the air strikes were justified.

Jonathan Harford in Belgium wrote: "The US and the UK acted in a manner that was totally correct, in order to preserve the longer term stability in the Middle East. Whilst a nation led by an unpredictable dictator continues to stockpile weapons of awesome power for purposes of aggression only, stability cannot be maintained."

Anita Steer, who is British, says: "Yes, I think the missile attacks are the right action to take against Saddam. He is a tyrant who needs to be stopped since I am in no doubt that he would use chemical weapons in the future."

But many people share the suspicion that the strikes may have been, in part at least, to divert attention from President Clinton's problems at home.

Diarmuid O'Donovan, in the Republic of Ireland, says: "There can be no doubt about it, Iraq was bombed last night and possibly hundreds of people lost their lives because of Bill Clinton's sexual impulses."

Derek Lorimer, in Australia, suggests: "If the justification for bombing Baghdad is that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, then would it not be equally justified to bomb London and Washington for the same offence?"

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