Letter: Stay out of Kosovo

Sir: When the British people were asked to decide on the issue of joining the European Union, the rejection of nationalism and an end to European conflict were cited as major reasons. So it was that a dozen nations with not far short of a dozen languages formed a single economic entity, and continue to develop towards political union.

In Yugoslavia we British, following the lead of the Germans, have assisted narrow nationalism to destroy the Union of Southern Slavs, who were nearly all of the same racial stock, spoke a common language and were an economically and politically integrated unit. Having been warned by Lord Carrington that recognition of Croatia would surely precipitate a civil war, John Major cynically accepted a trade with Chancellor Kohl - recognition of Croatia in return for German support for Britain's rejection of the EU Social Chapter.

Having thus brought about a civil war, our self-righteous leaders then affected outrage at the atrocities committed. Had any of them some knowledge of any civil war, anywhere, that was not characterised by such atrocities? Instead of accepting our national and European responsibility for igniting this inferno, Blair and Co continue fanning the flames, sending the strongest possible signals to yet another nationalist minority, in Kosovo this time,that we approve the further fragmentation of Yugoslavia.

It would be hard to think of anything that would show Slobodan Milosevic in a good light, but that does not entitle us to interfere in the running of his country. We can only hope that the cause of Albanian nationalism claims the lives of no British mothers' sons. If such were to happen, to listen to the pious regrets of this government would be just too much to bear.