IT is hard to think of anything more morally bankrupt than a proxy war – except if that war simply involved bombing an already traumatised population to no agreed end.

Syria is now synonymous with suffering; it is a festering example of global ethical constipation. However, for a President running from sleaze and corruption and a Prime Minister bounced into yet another hole by a buffoon Foreign Secretary to even consider adding to the woes of those people by using air strikes that will slaughter more innocent Syrians in order to “teach Russia a lesson” is possibly the worst, most evil nonsense I’ve ever heard.

Amanda Baker
Edinburgh

IT would appear that the Prime Minister is about to take the UK into another USA-led adventure of the type that cost the British taxpayer many billions and destroyed many political careers including Tony Blair’s.

From the invasions of Afghanistan in 1838 and 2001 through to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, all started with the megaphone bullying of the existing regimes followed by military invasion ending with no solution to what was perceived to be the reason for regime change.

The Prime Minister is so desperate to secure a trade deal with the USA that when Donald Trump says “jump” she says “how high?”

Mike Underwood
Linlithgow

SO Mrs May seems determined to emulate Thatcher and have her own war. After all, what better way to unite her precious Union and take minds off the Brexit catastrophe, the rape clause, the Bedroom Tax etc etc. And once again she intends to bypass parliament. Russia is not as far away as the Falklands. We are within easy reach. The first question that comes to mind is whether we should declare independence before or after the Russians attack Faslane and annihilate the west of Scotland. They probably wouldn’t give us warning. Remember Pearl Harbour!

Robert Johnston
Airdrie

I’M fully aware about Cambridge Analytica influencing elections, the harvesting of data and the blatant lies on buses to sway the Leave vote. Sergei Skripal being poisoned by goodness knows who and weapons of mass destruction (Trident) being on our shores leaves me feeling very uncomfortable about Westminster governments. I think I didn’t realise all of these huge security issues years ago when David Kelly – a scientist helping the government at the time of Iraq war – was found dead in a field having allegedly taken his own life.

There have been several wars Scotland did not want – costing thousands of lives – but as we all know the arms industry is lucrative. Trump spent trillions selling them to Saudi last year and spoke of “rooting them out”. Out of Yemen? Syria? Gaza? The poorer countries, not Singapore or Spain. I might prefer a special relationship with Scandinavia than with the US.

An independent Scotland is far bigger than politicians, oil, renewables, tourism, whisky, universities and so much more – it is about doing what is best for Scotland. I believe we need to escape from enormous corruption and the shenanigans of an expensive Westminster that is no longer value for money or fit for purpose.

Donna Curless
Glasgow

AS Maggie Chetty states, unity has to be the priority for the Yes movement (Letters, April 12). The question is how do we achieve that?

The problem now is the movement is made up of many, many facets of society and of politics. The common goal of independence has held us together, without strong central leadership for three years, but now single-issue politics, red lines being crossed, clashes of personality and the rest are fragmenting us. What we need, and have needed since September 2014, is a timescale. An absolute timescale, not a wishy washy, “maybe in six months we might look at the polls and then two years after that maybe” kind of thing.

People will not just lay aside their differences, they will revel in them if they know that in, say, 18 months there will be a referendum. Otherwise there is no focus, and people will argue. Focus will bring unity. Unity should bring victory, though it will be difficult.

Iain Henderson
via thenational.scot

I COMPLETELY agree with correspondent Carolann Draycot (Letters, April 12) that we need to get the truth out to everyone to counteract the lies and bias of the mainstream media . If someone produces a pamphlet of the type she mentioned them I would gladly volunteer to deliver them in my home district of Inverclyde. I especially like her idea of not mentioning independence or the SNP, as if that was on the pamphlet any No voters would probably bin it before reading it. It would be better if it came from the grassroots movement.

John Vosper
Port Glasgow