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We are ex-service personnel and relatives of servicemen and women and we believe the troops must come home from Afghanistan.

All over the United Kingdom families are grieving and others are desperately hoping their loved ones will not be on the next casualty list. And for what? Even the politicians and generals responsible for this war are admitting it is futile, and yet they are demanding soldiers risk life and limb every day.

We are well aware that when someone joins the army they may be asked to risk their life, but this should only be in a situation of real threat to the country.

This war is not making the world a safer place and not helping the Afghan people. Wounded troops are not being given proper treatment. The casualty rate is going up on both sides and the war is unwinnable.

If we stay in Afghanistan until 2015, as the government plans, hundreds more soldiers and thousands more civilians may die. Politicians who send and keep the British Military in Afghanistan should take heed of the majority of the population who want the troops home, remembering that they are elected as our servants not our masters. This pointless waste of life must end now before too many more suffer.

SIGNED:

Diane Bouffler, son to be deployed to Afghanistan shortly, Maisie Carter, great nephew served in Afghanistan, Bill Craig, ex-Para, Linda Cruse, son soon to embark on third tour of Afghanistan, Alan & Joan Dorey, Alan ex-RAF pilot, Tom Driscoll, grandson-in -law killed in Afghanistan 19th December 2009, Kay Elliott, stepmother of soldier killed in Afghanistan, Terence Flowers, grandfather of soldier about to embark to Afghanistan, Gail Francombe, Sister of serving soldier due to start third tour in 2011, Brian Glaister, ex RoyalArtillery, Philip Greig, Lt. Cdr. RN Retired, Jim & Jo Hartnell, nephew killed in Afghanistan 31st August 2000, Joan Humphreys, grandmother of Kevin Elliott, killed in action, Afghanistan 2009, Graham Knight, father of Sgt Ben Knight, killed in the Nimrod crash over Helmand Province 2006, Erin Main, cousin killed in Afghanistan 2009, Darren McReady, brother due to go on second tour (Rank Sergeant), Catherine Morton, mother of serving soldier, Dena Munro, daughter of Major Bertram Fordham RAOC Rtd, Linzi Payge, son currently serving in Afghanistan, Ruth Pothecary, relative of serving soldier, Mandy Silvester, son about to start second tour, Chris Simpson, relative of soldier badly wounded in Sanguin in 2009, Margaret Simpson, grandmother of Kevin Elliott, Mrs V Waring, grandmother of serving soldier, Paul M Waring, son serving Army officer, Ross Williams, ex soldier 3RHA