IN this post Iraq War situation, I take no pleasure in saying that the situation described in my letter to your columns earlier this year, has come to fruition. In the current climate of Iraq, it is obvious that little thought was given to Iraq's future prior to going to war.

The original pretext for going to war was the elimination of weapons of 'mass destruction.' Following the failure to find any basis for this premise, the mantra changed to the removal of an evil dictator. If that is so, then I can send the government a list of other evil dictators in the world, with whom we are still on talking terms in fact some we are on handshaking terms with.

When this Labour government came to power, great play was made to having an ethical foreign policy. The previous Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, morally resigned from the position, and is a public opponent of our path to war.

Now, out of the lucky dip of reasons advanced for going to war, we have to give the Iraqi people democracy. In an area where democracy in a Western sense, has been highly invisible for many years, do the leaders of the Allied powers believe that the seeds can be planted in such an unmade bed and will we be bringing it to other countries in the area?

I would like an answer, as it is our sons and daughters who will have to pay the price and bear the burden of this adventure. Now what has that got to do with Blackburn?

Our Prime Minister, Tony Blair, seems to be bearing most of the approbation from those who opposed the war, including myself. But don't we have a collective cabinet situation. So the decision to go to war must have been a collective one.

Presumably, our Foreign Office representatives had an input. And who is the Foreign Secretary in the Cabinet? The Foreign office should advise the Cabinet on matters of foreign policy. Now let me see, what was our Foreign Secretary's name? Can somebody lend me some rose-coloured spectacles or contact lenses to view the world as seen by this disgraceful government?

D D'ARCY, Haslingden Old Road, Knuzden, Blackburn.