I must voice my disagreement with James Gray Wiltshire to Westminster column on April 17

He opens his column with a question - "who could fail to rejoice..?."

He is talking not about the toppling of the sick regime in Iraq a past firm ally of both USA and UK but of the statue in the centre of Baghdad.

We've all seen the TV pictures, and front page headlines of many newspapers.

But these pictures are all up close and only show about 200 people, including US troops and members of the media.

The population of Baghdad is close to five million.

In another picture, taken from a little further away from the statue, it is clear that the square where the statue is located has been blocked to "public" access by US tanks and troops.

From 100 or so yards away the multitudes look on without any joy in their behaviour.

Mr Gray goes on to describe the "...jubilation...as they slapped the...statue with...shoes..." etc.

Does Mr Gray have no idea that the main character seen to be doing the slapping was flown in by the USA especially for this occasion?

Is he not also aware that the same man has been filmed in diverse parts of Iraq "warmly greeting" the coalition forces with a smile and a wave?

Does Mr Gray have such a cosseted life that he fails to notice a huge great PR move when it's happening?

I will finish with a comment about the "professionalism" which Mr Gray takes great pains to emphasise was so apparent in both US and UK forces in Iraq.

The coalition forces used bombs and missiles which were so smart they hit everything from a bus full of workers in Syria to a market square in Baghdad.

They also hit power supplies in Basra, causing a loss of power and water to more than a million people in a city where more than half the population are under 16.

Cluster bombs have also left a highly lethal and totally unethical legacy similar to landmines many children have already lost limbs and lives.

Civilians who are exercising a democratic process by demonstrating have been shot and the Third Geneva convention on prisoners' rights has been broken by showing them on TV around the world, being searched, arrested, hooded, pulled, shoved, manhandled and exhibited.

The British troops achieved wonders by simply playing soccer and honourably losing but only by one goal to the Basra population.

They achieved their mission objectives with relative ease, and were only really hampered by "friendly fire" from the US, which killed more of our troops and journalists than the Iraqis did.

The only good thing to come out of this conflict is the disappearance of Saddam Hussain.

Let's hope the next month will be better for the millions of Iraqis we were supposed to "liberate" than the preceding one has.

Ged Byrne

Calne