Letter: A nuclear waste

Professor DeGroot's article on the Strategic Defence and Security Review (Perspective, 7 October) is excellent - it is ridiculous to have Trident submarines or even atomic weapons.

Suppose for the sake of argument that somebody starts an atomic war. Their first targets will be people with atomic weapons. Do we want to be on that list?

Trident gives us the power to strike back after we have been destroyed. Are we sure our submarines cannot be detected? Is that power worth having?

Having nuclear weapons gives us a seat at the top table. What happens there? We get drawn into wars in Iraq and Afghanistan because we have forgotten our earlier history in those countries.

ROBERT McLEAN

Strachan Road

Edinburgh