IN HIS farewell speech ex-President Bush claimed as an achievement to have installed a democratically-chosen government in Afghanistan.

Really. Consider the facts.

When the Taliban regime was deposed by the UN forces there was hardly any person capable of taking part in government business, anyone who might have had the knowledge and experience had fled or been killed by the Taliban for one reason or another.

The new UN-backed government elected members comprised of previous leaders of tribal clans who don’t usually reach a consensus of opinion on anything much.

Foreign experts were appointed by the UN as advisers on administration, collection and distribution of taxes. The tax system is cumbersome and flawed and revenue is far below that required for the country’s needs.

Billions of pounds have been granted by the UN to help the administration become viable, but this money is actually drained by corruption and other loopholes.

The serious points are that the government’s base is in Kabul which is besieged, being surrounded by Taliban insurgents.

Meanwhile, the city itself is regularly attacked by suicide bombers and others. The rest of Afghanistan appears to be out of touch with Kabul.

In Helmand, our British soldiers are being killed daily (142) by the obscene roadside bombs and snipers and unseen enemies while they are expected to patrol openly. Since December, 14 soldiers have been killed.

The British Prime Minister and his colleagues spend many days trying to solve the almost insolvable problem with Gaza, for instance, with UN members and others. Surely, there are enough Middle East countries to deal with this reoccurring problem.

The Prime Minister must spend more time in a concerted attempt to take the British forces out of Afghanistan.

J Beisly, Osprey Close, York.