What is the colour of death? In Hollywood movies baddies are taken away by black, grotesque shapes while the goody is welcomed by a soft, comforting white light. Is an Iraqi mother likely to feel better that her teenage son has been shot dead by a white all American boy, whose Evangelical parents tie a yellow ribbon around the tree in the front garden, rather than by a filthy bearded terrorist? After the Germans lost the second World War, Nazi leaders were prosecuted at Nuremberg. Serbian leaders are facing prosecution in the Hague while Saddam and his cronies are being tried in Iraq. Yet there were no trials after the US defeat in Vietnam. On the contrary the US maintained sanctions against Vietnam for over 20 years because they wanted to know about soldiers missing in action ( MIAs ) or dead soldiers. Thus dead Americans were deemed to be more important than living Vietnamese. When the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty was signed it was envisaged that the nuclear powers will gradually get rid of their weapons and we will move towards a nuclear free world. Instead they have increased their arsenal and are researching newer types of weapons. Clearly they feel that they have a right to kill others without any threat to themselves. US did use nuclear weapons on Japan but they also considered using them on Vietnam and on India during the Bangladesh crisis. Is it any wonder that Asian countries feel the need of developing their own weapons after the repeated atrocities on Asia. So North Korea today, Iran tomorrow. When will they learn that death is colouless?