Letter: Disband Nato

NATO is a dysfunctional, archaic organisation which has no role to fill in the modern world (your report, 15 March).

It has grown to include a whole range of countries, all with different agendas and axes to grind, and, as witnessed in the Libyan crisis, is totally incapable of functioning as a military high command. To put our military into an operation where the commanders squabble and fight over objectives, methods and resources is sheer folly and a danger to our brave men and women.

There is no chance of cohesion when Nato partners such as Germany and Spain refuse to contribute to the effort, primarily because they know that they can sit back in the knowledge that the UK, US and occasionally France will expend the necessary resources and do their job for them.

If the operation is deemed a success by the world these countries will claim a full part - if not they will distance themselves, arguing that they did not contribute manpower to the effort.

This free ride has to stop, and Nato needs to be disbanded.

The UK should stop trying to police the world; there are too many situations which are an affront to UK views and culture - such as Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi and Zimbabwe - where intervention is well nigh impossible.

Ministers should focus our limited resources on protecting the UK and providing our military with the best possible equipment to enable them to carry out their duties as safely as possible

Iain H Beattie

Palmerston Road

Edinburgh