IT would appear, from reading some of the national newspapers, that Gordon Brown is just as servile to the Americans as Tony Blair was.

New Labour made a big play of moving out of Basra in southern Iraq and handing control to the Iraqis even in the face of American opposition to the move, but it now appears that, at the request of the Americans, 350 British troops have been sent to patrol the border between Iraq and Iran, which they see as providing armed support to some terror groups.

When is New Labour going to realise that the British Armed Forces are for the defence of Britain and not a mercenary force to be used as and when required by the Americans?

Over the past 30 years the treatment of our Armed Forces has dropped dramatically, with poor equipment and medical attention and barracks that are below levels that prisoners are kept in.

All the military hospitals have been closed and our injured, some very severely, are now lumped together on NHS wards all in the cause of saving money to be wasted on some bright idea by New Labour and its so-called advisors under the title of "improvements".

Peter Dolan, Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham.