IN SUPPORT OF TROOPS IN IRAQ

Dear Sir, I HAVE long been tempted to complement you on your hard hitting editorials, 87.3 percent of which fully echo my views. Today, I particularly wish to praise the comments of Anna Nicholas (Bulletin Saturday 25th March) in respect of the antics and attitudes of Mr Kember - equally I am very pleased that he and fellow hostages are freed and heading back to the UK; his refusal to praise the efforts of British (and other) troops who risked their necks to secure his release is, however, absolutely appalling. Like most people I, with hindsight, have serious reservations as to whether British troops should have gone to war in Iraq but their premature withdrawal, as advocated by Mr Kember, would leave an even greater bloodbath than exists at the moment. What are Mr Kember's views on the regime of Saddam Hussein? My compliments again to the outspoken comments of Anna Nicholas and to the British troops who are undertaking a very dangerous job to very high standards in a situation which is probably not to their liking. I make mistakes daily but they don't hit the headlines as do the rare failings of British troops operating in extreme situations from which most people would stay well clear.