THE letter by Dr John Reid (Afghans rely on UK troops, February 5 ) would be risible if he were not responsible for the lives and deaths of British soldiers and the devastation of their families. Reid apparently believes President Hamid Karzai’s claim that there are no special dangers for British troops in Helmand. Yet Karzai cannot even go there; aid efforts have been halted over large swathes of the province and Taliban attacks closed 165 schools.

Reid says narcotics control will not be part of the British remit; Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Worsley (leading UK troops) was apparently told that this was for the Foreign Office — step forward the Straw Force.

The governor of Helmand says you cannot separate drugs and stability; not surprising in a province 90% under poppies.

He also hopes that the British will seal the 100-mile border with Pakistan where the border police are “loath to go” and fighting recently killed 37.

There is no successful exit for Dr Reid’s policy. He should think again, this time clearly and quickly.

Richard Fyjis-Walker
London N1

POPPY DEATHS: Christina Lamb (World News) gives the complete lie to Reid’s proposition. She quotes Colonel Faisal Ahmed who was sent there after the Taliban attacked a police convoy: “We lost about 65 men and we couldn’t defeat the Taliban because they escaped back to Pakistan”.

Ahmed is the chief of the narcotics police. More than 20 attacks, including suicide bombers, in the past two months have come from this area. The province is 370 miles by 124 and the governor has 540 police and a narcotics squad of 30.

One can only despair of British troops being sent there.

Michael Richards
Wellington, Somerset