I write in response to Mr Humphries (Letters, March 10) and his understandable concern at his son being sent to war; but I would like to address his criticism of perceived lack of Iraqi exiles on Allied front lines.

I know many Iraqis, some of whom are very close friends. All are professional, highly educated tax-paying citizens who are totally against the war. Most have family in Iraq who have been harassed by the authorities in an attempt to force my friends to return. Over the last decade, one or two have returned but have ended up in prison and 'disappeared'. They feel they cannot publicly speak out for fear of jeopardising their families' safety. Most have served in the Iran/Iraq war and are now too old for service, although most are willing.

The Iraqi exiles who have called for war generally fall into two camps: the Kurds, who now enjoy a degree of autonomy in the north and are not now so heavily censored; and the Iraqi opposition, a fragmented group consisting of minority factions such as communists, and deserters of Saddam's government, many of whom are guilty of gross human rights violations towards their own people.

These groups have suffered under Saddam and have much to gain from a US invasion. I do not know whether they would be allowed to join troops on the front line or not. But I do know that many exiles and refugees have already fought and suffered. The most famous occasion was when they were encouraged by the US, who promised military help, to rise up and revolt against Saddam immediately after the last Gulf War. Thousands did, including many army regulars, but were cruelly crushed after being shafted by America, which decided that they preferred Saddam to govern after all! Tens of thousands of Iraqis were then slaughtered by Saddam's well fed and trained revolutionary guards, who eventually quelled the insurgency initially encouraged by the US.

Bitterness at the situation we now find ourselves in should be directed towards the military planners in the US, because we now know that they planned the invasion and occupation of Iraq before Bush hijacked the presidency in Florida. And anger should be directed to Mr Blair for 'recklessly' steering our young people towards an unjustified war to further American business concerns. It's incredible that the Americans have already shared out the contracts to American companies for rebuilding an Iraq before the war has even started. It is even more incredible that Mr Blair should risk our troops' liberty by acting outside a UN mandate, thus rendering any act of aggression illegal and the inevitable civilian deaths pre-meditated mass murder. It is only British soldiers, not American, who could find themselves before the International Criminal Court. The Americans, of course, consider themselves above such trifling, international nonsense!

Bridget Lucas

Old Town, Swindon