Jean Calder quotes Robin Cook as part of her/Mr Cook's criticism of Tony Blair's participation in the war on Iraq.

Yet Robin Cook has so far failed to explain how the invasion of 2003 was any more illegal and unjustified than the bombing campaigns of the Nineties, especially the onslaught in 1998 when he was Foreign Secretary, and when US and UK forces dropped and fired more explosives on/at Iraq than in the earlier Gulf War without any discernible political benefit whatever.

Like the Dear Leader himself, Mr Cook has consistently refused to admit there was anything wrong with this.

In short, failing some arguments more convincing than he has produced so far, I shall continue to regard Mr Cook as no more reliable a witness than either those dodgy Iraqi "intelligence sources" or most of his former Cabinet colleagues.

-Bruce A Smith, Brighton