Letter: Send in the troops

Sir: Once more the West feels the need to take action over Kosovo, and rightly so. But this time can we agree that air strikes are not the solution?

It is impossible to punish Milosevic by attacking Yugoslavia with missiles, for he does not care at all what happens to Yugoslavia. Missile attacks only provide more opportunities for anti-Western propaganda, and do nothing to prevent more violence in Kosovo. As for stopping Kosovo Liberation Army killings with missiles, we don't even know where the missiles should be aimed.

By allowing Milosevic to play brinkmanship games with the threat of air assault, we are letting ourselves be distracted from the one viable action we can take - sending in troops. Once we commit ground forces in sufficient numbers to enforce a ceasefire on both sides, we can begin to look for those politicians who genuinely want a peaceful solution to this crisis.

MARK BASSETT

New Malden, Surrey