Is this best form of defence? (From Bournemouth Echo)

Is this best form of defence?

8:00am Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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IN response to your article on Afghanistan (Daily Echo, March 9), a number of commentators ie Alvin Toffler, the Future Shock man in his War and Anti-War; the British reporter David Shukman, in his The Sorcerer’s Challenge and so on, writing well before 9/11, pointed to the way in which technological developments over the course of the past few decades have enabled small countries, and even non-national groups, to amass arsenals of types and sizes previously only attainable by major nations. This, of course, increases global instability.

Not only that, but the revolution in transport and communications means that Afghanistan, and every other country, is now much closer to us than previously. The internet can provide a way of recruitment, communication and direction for every extremist able to use it.

As various documentaries have pointed out, there are fundamentalist sympathisers already in this country, seeking to extend their influence. A retreat from Afghanistan would be taken by them and others as evidence that they were succeeding.

However, I must agree with the criticism of the present government. As various commentators have pointed out, we have had four Secretaries of State for Defence in as many years, one of whom had to fit in his duties in that role with his duties as Secretary of State for Scotland, and the current one ranking 17th out of 21 in order of precedence in the Cabinet. This at a time when our forces have been engaged in combat for most of the past decade!

There has been some complaints recently about generals becoming too closely involved in politics.

I have to wonder if Mr Brown believes that there is some sort of prohibition against politicians becoming too closely involved in defence?

PETER DAVEY, Barrie Road, Moordown, Bournemouth