THERE is no one in the world who would not like to see the back of Saddam Hussein, but I am somewhat puzzled by recent praise in this page for the courage of Prime Minister Tony Blair in sending British troops to war.

This is compounded by the ludicrous 'War Diary' of Foreign Secretary Jack Straw currently being serialised in your newspaper.

The claim that our Prime Minister is showing real personal conviction in this instance, rather than simply following focus groups in dictating policy, as was previously the case, misses the point. All that has changed is that the leadership of the Untied States of America, has replaced the focus groups in dictating policy in this instance.

Neither Tony Blair nor his sons, nor any of the MPs who voted for war will actually be out there in the desert with a rifle. Indeed, the very worst that can happen to Tony Blair is that he loses his position as Prime Minister.

As for Chancellor Gordon Brown giving the government virtually a blank cheque for the war effort -- when was the last time that any chancellor gave a blank cheque for anything?

A CULVERHOUSE, Cavendish Street, Darwen.