I HAVE read, both in the Evening News and the national Press, that the Blair and Bush governments consider that diplomacy has failed at the UN and that is why they are going it alone in a war with Iraq.

What they really mean is that they have failed to convince the international community that war is the only option.

Many countries, France in particular, consider that weapons inspection is achieving the containment of Saddam's Iraq and they would veto any UN vote that triggered a war.

For this they are vilified by the UK and US governments.

I have just returned from a trip abroad and I am shamed to admit I am not proud to be English. We are not popular at the moment.

What has happened to the Blair commitment to find the "third way", in other words, to negotiate a solution.

I make no apologies for Saddam Hussein who is an evil dictator. But he should have been contained by peaceful means under international law.

TERRY JAMES,

Drakes Broughton.