Trump’s war plea must be ignored

JEREMY Corbyn is 100% right to say the war in Afghanistan has failed and that Theresa May must not respond to Donald Trump’s request to allies to send more troops.

After 16 years of fighting, the Taliban still has not been defeated – and the threat of terrorism in the West is even greater than it was before.

The only ones to gain out of further bloodshed are the hawkish US generals and the vested interests of the military industrial complex which makes billions out of wars around the world.

The Prime Minister must keep Britain out of this unwinnable war. Richard Jones, Bristol Jeremy Corbyn is right to be sceptical over the UK involving itself further in Afghanistan. Britain and the USA went there to hunt Bin Laden after 9/11, but he had fled to Pakistan. Instead we ended up fighting the Taliban, who have never attacked the West. The Taliban follow a vile ideology but the best way of helping Afghanistan is through foreign aid. We can only protect ourselves from terrorism by closing down those who fund it, by countering the beliefs of this sick death cult and by not alienating young Muslims by discrimination. Brett Grainger Rugeley, Staffs It is not the Taliban who are blowing themselves up and driving cars into civilians on the streets of European cities, it’s Islamic State. Once again the Americans are targeting the wrong enemy, just as they went after Saddam Hussein in 2003 when he had nothing to do with September 11.

For goodness sake, Mrs May, don’t kowtow to “the Donald” and send more British boys and girls off to their deaths. J Sturgess, Birkenhead Donald Trump is quite right to surge back into Afghanistan to battle the Taliban. Obama should never have halted operations as soon as he did as the battle wasn’t won. We should send in the RAF in support of the US, but we must not commit one foot on the ground.

The Western nations now find themselves in a vicious circle. First, the terrorists attack the West, then the West retaliates with all guns blazing and then the terrorists retaliate in response. This is a madness that could last for many more years. Ashley J Smith, March, Cambs Your editorial only mentioned the British and American troops who died in Afghanistan (Mirror, August 23). But what about the innocent Afghan men, women and children who were killed in the conflict? Only Jeremy Corbyn has spoken any sense about Afghanistan – we must keep out. And remember it’s not soldiers who start wars, but arrogant leaders. Steve Boyle, Middlesbrough Trump says he will send another estimated 4,000 troops to “kill terrorists” in Afghanistan. But sending more soldiers and innocent civilians to their deaths won’t bring about peace in that country. As Mr Corbyn says, we must not blindly follow America into another war. Simon Parker, Hull If the Russians came out of Aghanistan with their tails between their legs all those years ago, do we really think that the Taliban are for giving up? And remember America could not win in Vietnam. It is madness to send more troops to die. And all for what? Elizabeth Keeling, via Facebook