The Saturday Message - this week with the Rev Anthony Bedell, of St Luke with St Philip's Church, Blackburn

THERE are so many ways in which the war is wrong.

Afghanistan refugees are pouring into Pakistan. If 200 civilians have so far been killed, how many more tens of thousands will die in freezing conditions on their way to unhygienic refugee camps because of our bombings?

British and American troops will probably be in Afghanistan during Ramadan, which begins on November 17.

Millions of uncommitted Muslims would see this as a deliberate, unprovoked slap in the face. I fear that we white Westerners have no idea about the religious sensitivities of Islam.

Memories are long. In Northern Ireland they still celebrate the Battle of the Boyne of 1694. The Taliban and al-Qaida will not forget this war for a century or more. You cannot stamp out an idea. The English have tried to stamp out Irish nationalism for centuries -- and it just does not work. Nationalism is a fire that burns deep in the heart and the mind.

We just cannot win. Al-Qaida is in 60 countries. It probably consists of a cell of four people in each.

The US and the UK do not have the intelligence to infiltrate most of these cells. How many arrests have there been? One -- a pilot in Berkshire. These cells are fuelled by a hatred of the West.

The gloves are off -- the CIA gives $1billion for new operations (including assassinations), which will strengthen their resolve.

Am I arguing in favour of appeasement? First, let us remember when we hammered Germany in the First World War. We had to fight this again for six long years in the Second World War.

Before we begin, let us ask ourselves if we have the stomach for this sort of fight. Can we face the bombing of Big Ben, Old Trafford and the Houses of Parliament? The assassination of political leaders? For these are the stakes of this kind of war.

And secondly, let us ask why does al-Qaida hate us? And is there anything at all we can do to soften that hatred?