SIR – While accepting that Councillor [Chris] Mitchell has been a councillor for a few months only and that he is obviously a novice in these matters, I was nonetheless very disappointed by his reply (Worcester News, March 8) to my letter (Worcester News, February 29) in which I raised the very serious issue of why this country is constantly engaged in wars in the Middle East.

For example, he doesn’t even mention Iran and Libya but, instead, goes on about council tax and the European Defence League (when he clearly means the English Defence League).

I have opposed all war in the Middle East regardless of the Prime Minister who took us in to it. If Coun Mitchell cannot offer any intellectual analysis of the arguments I put forward, I suggest he makes his first foray his last.

He repeatedly tells us he was in the Army. All the more extraordinary then that he still does not understand that it is our politicians who decide to take us into war, not our military.

Even though these are political not military issues, is Coun Mitchell saying that only ex-military people can speak about war?

My support for our troops is second to none. I remind him that, without any interest or support from him, I spent well over a year battling the city and county councils to get the plaque now up in the Guildhall commemorating our troops who have been killed in every war since the Second World War, including Iraq, Afghanistan and all future wars that we will certainly be involved in.

My father was a war hero seeing active service at Dunkirk, Kohima and Gloster Hill where he was one of the very few escapees. Two of my nephews have joined the Army.

So, I put a direct challenge to Coun Mitchell –- does he think there will be an Israeli/American attack on Iran in the next year or so with British involvement? A ‘yes’ or ‘no’ will do. If we do go to war we’ll have petrol at more than £2 a litre and panic buying at the pumps.

Oil prices are already at record levels because of worldwide fears about the rising tension in the Middle East.

Tell us, Coun Mitchell, what national interest has been served by any of these endless wars?

What have those six brave soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan last week died for?

Why have our so-called allies in Libya just desecrated two British war cemeteries?

Why is it that we have been at war in the Middle East now for 11 years, longer than the First and Second World Wars combined?

What a pity Coun Mitchell has nothing to say about any of that.

ALAN AMOS
County councillor for Gorse Hill and Warndon, city councillor for Warndon