Just the same, then as now, there was a smoking gun letter that came to light.

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In response to a demand for payment, a short letter simply telling them that you cannot pay now is light years better than ignoring the demand letter.

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In that light, my question about the letter seemed trivial and out of place.

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The claim came to light after the BBC saw a letter to Thetford petrol station owner Steve Jones, stating PC Jones went to the Nuns' Bridges garage on 25 August last year following a suspected break-in.

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The letter complained of a double standard toward imagery on the site in light of past controversies over Facebook removing more innocuous content, such as photos of women breastfeeding.

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"Quite rightly, our children and grandchildren will ask what we were thinking about, and consider that we were deluded in exchanging that which nature gave us for a power installation that would not even light up Bonar Bridge, " he wrote in his letter of objection.

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The letter is specific to Ireland and did not address similar scandals now coming to light in other European countries like Austria and Germany.

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"I am delighted now to really see the light at the end of the tunnel, " Best told the Belfast News Letter.

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Many of the signers of the Hagel letter also appeared in another open letter to Mr Obama - this one on Iran - published that same day, further bringing to light Tehran's centrality in these debates.

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