PHILIP ROE rightly condemned the actions of George Bush and Tony Blair in the Middle East (Letters, August 6), but failed to comment on the foreign policy of the present Government.

Messrs Cameron, Hague, Clegg and co had the benefit of hindsight and the possibility of learning from Tony Blair’s mistakes, but they didn’t.

They failed to listen to the lessons of history and acted in a tragically short-sighted way that brought chaos, misery, destruction and death to Libya, and turned it into a failed state.

They were helped in their actions by the British media, particularly and shamefully the BBC which forgot its motto; “Nations shall Speak Peace unto Nations”, and acted as the British government’s propaganda agency by allying itself to the “Rebels” and broadcasting and thereby legitimising their every outrageous sensational and unproved comments, and post conflict have remained silent on any analysis of their actions.

Gadaffi was a tyrant, but he was becoming part of the international community, ridding Libya of its arsenal of chemical weapons for instance.

Nelson Mandela considered him “an African hero”.

He poured money into sub-Sahara Africa in health and welfare schemes, Literacy in Libya was amongst the highest in Africa, young women had equal opportunities in higher education, polygamy was banned.

Libya is a nation in name only, in reality three separate countries brought together over the barrel of a gun by the Italians a 100 years ago, and that is what it is now reverting to.

Mike Race, Byron Drive, York.