GENERAL Sir Michael Rose and other military critics of the unjustified war against Iraq have been deviously sidetracked, not so much by the Government they so rightly criticise but by newspapers encouraging criticism of the servicepeople, who appeared to be set to benefit financially following their arrest by Iranian forces who had them at a distinct disadvantage because of their inferior firepower and the vulnerability of their rubber dinghy.

The collusion of America with Israel in entrapping Colonel Nasser in a financial and political dilemma that left him little alternative but to nationalise the Suez Canal were illustrative of how wars can be engineered.

In the First World War, the assassination of one man was used to justify the slaughter of millions of servicemen and women who were led to believe they were patriots.

Now, with the obviously, unjustified and badly engineered war against Iraq, I am convinced the governments contributing armed forces to the death and destruction of Iraqis and Afghans are quite callously using the youth of our nations as "Dogs of War."

Criticism is being levelled against the occupants of a rubber dinghy because of the possibility they may benefit financially from their experience.

My age and experience lead me to consider that what Blair and his cronies expected, was for some inexperienced serviceman or woman to "get a bubble on" and open fire on their captors. Quite a number of newspaper editors, correspondents and armchair warriors writing to letters columns are of the opinion this is what they should have done.

Had one of those on board the dinghy opened fire, not only would they have been obliterated, Blair, his subservient ministers and the press in general would have been clamouring for the conveniently situated Block Buster bombs to be used against Iran and the drafting of many thousands more dogs of war to the Middle East.

DENNIS EDMONDSON, Duck Hill, Pecket Well, Hebden Bridge.