WHEN you hate America and the West as much as R Westmoreland (Letters, January 7) appears to do, no amount of facts will change your thinking.

However, in case anyone genuinely thinks Britain is more corrupt than Afghanistan, it’s worth checking the international corruption index.

In 2013 Britain was rated as the 14th least corrupt country on earth (the USA was 19th); Afghanistan came third from bottom.

As for the idea that the Taliban are noble freedom fighters, the moment they get near power again, freedom for women will vanish. The West has got many things wrong in Afghanistan, but we are fighting for liberty. Our enemy is fighting for tyranny, oppression, ignorance and corruption.

James Richards, Scarcroft Road, York.