Exit this disaster

Published on 20/11/2012 00:00

Tony Blair’s ­interventionist ­legacy lingers on and his century-­opening Afghan invasion is now our longest modern conflict, having edged past the Napoleonic War.

As Paddy Ashdown, the only recent party leader with any military experience, rightly says: “The war is clearly lost and not worth the life of one more ­British soldier” (your report, 
17 November).

Now the Taliban has realised it is easier to kill our men by placing assassins among them than picking them off on the front line, the military situation is a nightmare.

Our only success was driving out al-Qaeda in the first few months and the next decade of failure just confirmed that our leaders lack the moral courage to call it a day.

It is a disaster and there is nothing we can now do to ­prevent Afghanistan from ­descending into chaos the ­moment we leave, so we might as well get on with it and bring the boys home.

(Dr) John Cameron

Howard Place

St Andrews