Our government is in bed with al-Qaida

Since September 11 2001, Western governments have told us that the Taliban and al-Qaida are the most evil terrorists in the world.

But in Libya it is a different story.

There we have backed rebels which include an organisation called the Libyan Islamic Organisation which the CIA says is a terrorist organisation affiliated to al-Qaida, and the new military commander of Tripoli Abdul Belhaj is an ex al-Qaida operative.

So what does this tell us about Western foriegn policy?

It appears that despite the slaughter of September 11 2001, British and US governments are still happy to use al-Qaida to achieve short-term pragmatic goals.

This fear and hatred of them is purely for public consumption.

What are British soldiers to think when they find out they are dying fighting al-Qaida in Afghanistan but in Libya Nato has bombed them into power?

Are they being duped?

Mark Holt
Waterloo