DEFENCE Secretary Liam Fox was, apparently, “deeply saddened” to learn about the death of Lance Corporal Paul Watkins, recently killed, in Afghanistan.

How desperately sad, and appalling, the death of the Lance Corporal killed, apparently, by a fifth columnist Taliban assassin.

That these soldiers are having to put their lives on-the-line in a futile, un-winnable war is bad enough, but when these same soldiers have to carry the added burden of not knowing, whether, or not, that particular Afghan soldier behind them is a Taliban infiltrator is far too heavy.

As well as this dreadful fifth column uncertainty these brave soldiers have to carry with them on a daily basis, they will also be reading/hearing the same headlines we read/hear regarding massive cost-cutting reductions to be made in our armed forces.

Obviously our so-called leaders haven’t the faintest idea about morale and how its loss, especially in the armed forces, is just as devastating to the people it effects, as being over-run by a stronger enemy force.

What a despicable shower we have in Government, totally out-shone by the brave Army, Air Force and Navy they are betraying in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Philip Roe, Roman Avenue South, Stamford Bridge.