I hope most British people deplore the fact our troops are being charged with war crimes for the alleged maltreatment of Iraqi civilians.

This will, to say the least, dent the morale of the armed forces who are performing superbly in most difficult and dangerous circumstances.

Is a soldier considered of such little value after he has volunteered to defend and, if necessary, lay down his life for his country?

Set against the crimes allegedly committed by our troops, serious consideration must be given to the cowardly atrocities committed against our soldiers in Basra and elsewhere.

When will we hear the outraged voice of the human rights activists for them? Never, I suspect.

We have also not heard so much as a whisper from our defence minister; he should be at the forefront in their defence.

I fear this could well lead to a crisis in confidence and a detrimental effect on retention and future recruitment.

The extremists will continue to argue that the war in Iraq and the Palestinian conflict justify suicide attacks, yet soldiers in our armed forces are being charged with war crimes. It is unbelievable.

The Human Rights lawyers and organisations such as Liberty must come down from their lofty perches, face up to reality, and start putting the interests of our troops and innocent law-abiding citizens in this country first.

Elizabeth C Earle,

Dower Court,

William Plows Avenue, York.

Updated: 09:35 Monday, August 01, 2005