US President Barack Obama is a fine orator and he has made a good start to his presidency except, in my opinion, with Afghanistan.

By deciding to send thousands more US troops to this troubled land he has signed the death warrant of many more of his countrymen and because we are hanging on to the US coat-tails we will lose more fine young men fighting a futile war.

In 1919, I had an uncle who lost an eye fighting in the Khyber Pass – a war which we inevitably lost. Nothing has changed.

Hugh Pender, Darlington.