As war anniversary looms let’s not demand more sacrifice

THE centenary of the start of the First World War is to hand next year. It commenced over next to nothing and brought about the carnage and death of untold millions on both sides.

The pot is brewing in the Middle East; if it becomes enlarged we could well witness the start of World War Three in 2014. Great caution should be urged all round. Russians ships have joined the US fleet in the Mediterranean. Both those nations have many nuclear weapons.

The Arab world is 500 or more years behind Europe and the West, they proceed along their own learning curve to modern civilisation. They gain experience the hard way just as we did in our own country.

Happily I am 71-years-old and will not be required to serve if the potential conflict expands out of control. It is a very dangerous time to be 21, so I recommend to all those under 35 to take out your dictionary and look up the word conscription.

Your politicians may call upon you, in the name of humanity, for the ultimate sacrifice, beware!

From: Mrs Vida Foster, Old Park Mews, Ripon.

I BEG David Cameron not to take us into conflict with Syria. I am sure this is not his intention, but sending in any types of missile could cause more harm than good.

Things will escalate and before we know it we will be dragged into a major war with the Middle East and possibly the world. It is far more sensible to talk and negotiate. Talk to Russia, after all it has been said by the great philosopher Albert Einstein: “Peace cannot be kept by force, but by understanding.”

Nobody in their right minds condones the use of chemical weapons. We are not setting an example and two wrongs do not make a right.

By interfering in Iraq, we are rightly loathed by the Arab states. They see us as killers of their innocent people. Again by going into Syria with missiles we could kill thousands of innocent people. Things may go sadly wrong. Mr Cameron should be a Prime Minister for peace, not war.

From: David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Holgate, York.

IT is very rare indeed to see our UK MPs actually carry out the wishes of the British public. Most usually just sheepishly toe the party line and give two fingers to democracy.

This defeat of the Government’s motion is a blow to David Cameron, questions his credibility, leadership, decision making and shows how out of touch he really is. It is even worse than his handling of the EU and gay marriage.

However, I do believe this result will have done Britain’s standing in the world, a power of good. We can now join sensible like-minded nations to slowly find ways through diplomacy, negotiations, the law, humanitarian aid, sanctions and not taking sides, to bring the truly awful civil war in Syria to an end.

From: Dai Woosnam, Woodrow Park, Scartho, Grimsby.

SO America sentences to death their US Muslim who killed fellow soldiers. Contrast that with their immediately flying out of Afghanistan their Christian soldier Robert Bales who wickedly murdered 16 innocent Afghan villagers, including women and children. And then the US refusing to execute him.

Many American people are fine, but the values of their government are rotten to the core. And now we Brits are expected to follow them on Syria? Thou cannot be serious, Mr Obama.

From: Godfrey Bloom, Ukip Defence Spokesman and MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, Wressle, Selby.

AS always politicians with no military experience are those who call loudest for war. The latest Syrian debacle is no exception. We are all shocked and horrified to see women and children subjected to chemical weapons and in our outrage we feel we must punish someone. Yet we do not know who is responsible.

The ridiculous Foreign Office seem to have adopted the role of horse racing tipster. 6-4 on Assad, 10-1 Sunnis, 60-1 Shias, 100-1 Kurds. “In all probability”. Possibly one of the weakest documents released by a largely discredited government institution who bought into the “weapons of mass destruction” last time around.

The UK seems now to be a vassal state of the USA, taking our instructions and intelligence reports direct from the State Department, no questions asked.

To make war successful there must be a “war aim”. What is the proposed war aim? What is the exit strategy? Would that our senior politicians were equally moved by a visit to Hadley Court to see our wounded as they are by Syrian civilian victims. William Hague is clearly out of his depth. He must go.