I REGRET that Mr McClements (April 17) is reducing himself to party politics by his own statements.

Of course we were aware of Hussein's atrocities 12-year-ago, but it was the USA who turned their backs, not the UK.

If Iraq had possession of nuclear weapons, then why, knowing that all was lost, did they not have 'one last go'? Answer, because they never had any and the massacre of Iraq was simply political.

I believe Mr Bush has many problems at home that he would rather not face or deal with, and why Blair got the innocent people of the UK involved shows his naivety.

Now that the bombing has stopped, what is the reward? Thanks very much UK, now go away while we share the spoils of war, no fat contracts, no consultation as to the future of Iraq, and, worse still, hardly any mention of the fine British boys sent to their death in a battle that had nothing to do with the UK in the first place.

I am sorry Mr McClements, but faithfully following the Labour propaganda is just out of place in this case -- the action in Iraq was wrong, immoral and frighteningly possibly a lead-in to a wider middle-east conflict.

Dr G C Gibson

An Englishman abroad, saddened at seeing the once Great Britain following the American

dollar like a

star-struck teenager.

Haj ve Slezsku-Smolkov, 747 92 Czech Republic