“The tragedy is that immense damage has already been done,” says Tony Blair (Opinion, 13 August). Fact: it was Tony Blair who damaged the Labour party. He did many good things, true, but his decision to join Bush in the Iraq war, his deceit over same, his total lack of concern for the wishes of Labour party voters and supporters, brought an end to old loyalties. More, he fails to realise that many of us “think about those we most care about and how to help them” – but for we many, that includes members of the human race in Iraq, Syria and the Middle East, who suffered and died, and suffer and die today, because of his actions. Suffering which he does not recognise, and for which he has never apologised. It is shaming to read such hypocrisy from a former British prime minister, not to mention a member of, and former leader of, the Labour party.
Carmen Callil
London
• How on earth has he got away with it? Jeremy Corbyn is an appeaser of fascists posing as a socialist. He believes that talking to Iran will bring Syria’s agony to an end, but what precisely could he offer them when they already occupy the country? His allies in Stop the War are quite selective about the aspects of the war that upset them. It isn’t the barrel bombs, napalm or chemical massacres that they object to. It isn’t even the unimaginable suffering that comes from years of siege. It is the prospect of a no-fly zone which could actually save lives that has them up in arms. Ukraine has been invaded. Mr Corbyn just wants us to forget the security guarantees which were made when they gave up its nuclear arsenal. Good luck with non-proliferation! Labour party members really need to get over their electoral trauma.
Brian Devlin
Galashiels, Scottish Borders
• We are accustomed to reading letters in the Guardian from Jews for Justice for Palestinians and Ken Loach et al, replete with trenchant criticism of Israel. When can we expect protests from them about the dreadful loss of civilian life in Syria so vividly described by Martin Chulov (Report, 18 August)?
Jeremy Beecham
Labour, House of Lords
