On June 22, 1944, less than two weeks later, the Soviet Army launched Operation Bagration, in Belorussia.

Within two weeks it had destroyed the German's Army Group Centre, annihilated 28 German divisions and effectively signalled the Soviet Union's victory in World War II.

It was at this point Hitler's senior generals began to tell him to his face to make peace.

By comparison, despite a 30 to one superiority in aircraft, 300 to one in ships, 12 to one in tanks, 20 to one in artillery and three to one in infantry, the Western allies would be stuck in Normandy for another month-and-a-half before they broke out and destroyed 10 German divisions.

By all means celebrate the courage and resolve of the western allies, soldiers, sailors and airmen. Their actions were a nail in the coffin of Germany's ambitions.

But let us also remember, and pay tribute to, the unremitting courage and sheer bloody endurance of the Soviet Army.

They were the ones who dug the grave, built the coffin and shoved the body in.

The quote from Martin Niemoller (Arno Drygala, Letters, June 7) eloquently expresses the dangers of raids such as the one the AFP carried out on the ABC. And as these are the laws (under Terror legislation), then the laws are manifestly wrong.

Defenders of our rights have been pointing out for nearly two decades that the security laws are excessive and detrimental to democracy. Just when will they be wound back? Why are the people who supposedly monitor them all comprised of security and police, rather than representatives of civil society?

To end with another quote: "Send not to ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee".

It was heart-warming to read of the Greens' Caroline Le Couteur's concern for we Canberra bus users, ("ACT Greens call for more shelter at city bus interchange", canberratimes.com.au, May 31) given her party's support for the light rail which has ripped $1 billion from general public transport spending.

To support this monstrous waste of money, a bus service to Lyneham shops was diverted, denying shoppers the convenience of a nearby stop. This cynical change, no doubt to encourage residents east of the Lyneham shops to trudge to the tram, also removes the convenient bus service from Lyneham High School.

Numerous bus changes such as this, to prop up the commercial enterprise which operates the tram, demonstrate the light rail venture has little to do with public transport.

The shambles which the Civic bus interchange has become, again to accommodate the tram to the disadvantage of bus passengers, is a reminder it once had heated waiting rooms. In 1986, the rooms were locked for several months because of what ACTION officials described as their use by drunks, undesirables and others for meeting places.

By August 1999, under Transport Minister Brendan Smyth, plans were hatched to remove the heated, enclosed waiting rooms. They were replaced in 2000 by the present structures. Bus commuters have long known what apparently Ms Le Couteur has taken 19 years to recognise; travellers need shelter from the wind and rain.

Meanwhile, the promise by then Transport Minister, Simon Corbell, in 2006 to remedy the serious shortcomings of the Woden bus interchange remains unfulfilled.

Instead of using their considerable influence to require improvements to bus services, the Greens demanded a tram which has sucked scarce funds, not only from general public transport, but from overdue path maintenance and other urban services. No doubt, some people benefit from the tram, but the extravagance of this project is paid for by all.

Someone with a security clearance, probably PV1 (Top Secret), has leaked a number of documents.

The media is screaming that they have a right to publish them and that the public has a right to know.

Some things need to be kept secret in the national interest, hence security classifications. The fact an individual with the highest clearance and trust has broken that trust and illegally leaked documents is of real concern.

The public has no "right to know" anything from such documents.

The media is saying the AFP haven't made it clear what the purpose of the raids are for and that they are probably to intimidate media organisations and dissuade them from such reporting in the future.

The raids were obviously to find evidence of who leaked the documents.

They were not an attack on the media but an effort to find government employees who broke their vows of trust.

If those sources are revealed, I hope they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law, lose their security classifications and their jobs, and serve many years at Her Majesty's pleasure.

What they have done is highly illegal and morally wrong. Surely not even the journalists are encouraging individuals to break the law?

Any suggestion the government ordered the raids is ridiculous. The AFP is independent and does not take instructions from the government.

I am so glad my recent overseas visitors had travel insurance cover. A lycra-clad cyclist on a mission to break a world record nearly bowled them over on Commonwealth Avenue Bridge.

I would love to know the statistics of accidents on the shared paths surrounding the ACT. I am sure this is not an isolated incident.

The paths are a great asset to the ACT but no-one seems to know the rules. There is simply no etiquette. It is just a free for all.

Surely there should be rules with pedestrians having the right of way and cyclists confined to a speed necessary to avoid unsuspecting walkers.

Another simple suggestion is for cyclists and walkers to be separated by a small curb. I saw this on a visit to Vancouver last year.

The shared paths just seem to be an accident waiting to happen.

During our recent election campaign the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, visited New Zealand.

Speaking in Auckland he called on national governments worldwide to make four pivotal shifts:

1. tax pollution, not people; 2. stop subsidising fossil fuels; 3. stop building new coal power stations by 2020; 4. focus on a green economy, not a grey economy.

But he added that too often governments are afraid to move forward.

Some governments, however, are doing so. An international study revealed that during the 10 years 2005 to 2015, 18 nations with advanced economies - including USA and the major countries of Europe - reduced their carbon dioxide outputs from fossil fuel combustion by, on average, 24 per cent.

By contrast, during this 10 years Australia's official carbon dioxide emissions remained largely unchanged.

The push in some quarters for greater religious freedom is disturbing.

This country has laws which allow ample freedom of religion (and in some respects too much).

People are perfectly free to practice their beliefs, but this does not include freedom to denigrate and offend anyone who does not share those beliefs.

Apparently there are some who feel Israel Folau was dealt with unfairly.

The truth is he got just what he deserved. This has nothing to do with freedom of religion.

Responding to a warning from his employer (over an earlier incident) he gave an undertaking which he then failed to honour. End of story.

Last week at tram failed to turn up in peak hours. This made the news. Not so newsworthy are the buses that do not turn up.

In the first month of the new timetable two buses I have attempted to catch failed to turn up.

Both times this happened on a Sunday with a one hour wait for the next.

On other occasions during the month a driver took the bus in the wrong direction and another asked me which way to turn at a T intersection because a direction was missing from his run sheet.

Any confidence I had in ACTION to provide a service has dissipated in this first month of the new timetable.

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