ACCORDING to M S Powell (Letters 30 March) British politicians were responsible for the deaths of “thousands upon thousands” (made up figures, don’t you just love them?) of civilians in the war against ISIL and therefore we have no right to object to the Russians using a lethal nerve agent against people living on a housing estate in Salisbury.

Clearly if M S Powell can find moral equivalence between the two actions, he lives in an alternative reality.

Here are a few facts: Firstly, the UN Security Council called for the attacks on ISIL who, it should be remembered, were busy carrying out atrocity after atrocity whether in the areas they controlled, or through their agents in Europe.

Secondly, the RAF uses very careful targeting and stateof-the-art weapon systems to avoid unnecessary civilian deaths. Admittedly and regrettably, despite careful measures being taken, some civilians do get killed in war.

Finally, M S Powell appears to have overlooked the Russian bombing in Syria, the shooting down of the Malaysian airliner, the annexation of Crimea, and the use by Russia of proxy troops to invade Ukraine.

Objecting to foreign state agents deliberately releasing nerve agent in a neighbouring town does not make me or anyone else of similar views sanctimonious.

Gary Adams, Anton Road, Andover.