WHY can’t British governments keep their noses out of the so-called trouble spots of the world?

Every time we do, we make the situation worse. 1) The present troubles in Belfast started in the 1920s when we partitioned Ireland, North and South. Result – terrorism, human rights and civil rights abuses. 2) Britain promised Pales-tine independence, but betrayed that promise after the Second World War, and the creation of Israel out of the destruction of Palestin-ian hopes caused the conflict that has persisted to this day. 3) Iraq was invaded illegally, simply because America wanted to control its oil. 4) Afghanistan – a conflict which we had no business to get involved in. We are now going to leave with our tails between our legs, having poured millions of taxpayers’ money and arms into the warlords’ coffers. We taught the Afghans how to make explosives and trained their army. The end result has been the deaths of British service men and women, and innocent Afghan civilians being killed in their thousands.

We have just sent the first planeload of arms and equipment into Mali, already bristling with guns. Yet another disastrous adventure in the making.

Ray Davies Pandy Road Caerphilly