Madam, - In his Irishman's Diary of March 18th, Kevin Myers claims to outline the sequence of events which surrounded the elections in Spain last week.
He mentions the 10 bombs which massacred 200 innocent people and goes on to remind us how the "anti-Islamacist" centre-right government, led by the outgoing prime minister José Maria Aznar, was surprisingly "expelled" from power and replaced by the Socialist Party, thereby yielding all the ground to al-Qaeda terrorists.
What Mr Myers conveniently omits from the happenings in Spain last week is the fact that Mr Aznar and his colleagues knowingly deceived the Spanish people by accusing Eta. The vast majority of Spaniards opposed the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Yet, as Paddy Woodworth wrote in Wednesday's edition, it seems reasonable to suppose that had Mr Aznar been open and transparent as to who were the real culprits, the Partido Popular may have proved true to its name and won the elections. - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL CULLEN, Albert Park, Sandycove, Co Dublin.
Madam, - The Spanish people have sent two important messages which will have enormous consequences for Spain, Europe and the West.
The first message, which was directed at Spanish politicians, but which should be noted by all, is that spinning and lying will not be tolerated.
The second message is far more important: that terrorist groups can frighten people into changing governments in the hope of being spared the horrors of terrorism by placating fascist thugs.
This hope is both naïve and dangerous because the terrorists' enemies are not just those who participated in the war in Iraq, but Western democracy, values and civilisation.
The terrorists' aim is not to punish America or Spain but to destroy the very fabric of Western civilisation and replace it with a medieval form of Islam, the likes of which existed in Afghanistan under the Taliban.
If the people in the rest of Europe react in the same manner as the Spanish electorate in the hope of being spared, they will be disappointed and punished. The terrorists will not interpret the Spanish election results as a sign of tolerance or a desire for peace, but as a sign of weakness and fear, encouraging them to wreak even more death and destruction.
It is a frightening thought, but in years to come, historians may come to see last Sunday as the date on which Western democracy began to die. - Yours, etc.,
TREVOR TROY, Connaught Place, Athboy, Co Meath.
Madam, - In the wake of unspeakable horror for the people of Madrid, it is deeply satisfying to see the cold, Machiavellian cynicism of the Partido Popular rewarded with marching orders from the vigilant and engaged Spanish voter.
Now the incoming Prime Minister must face down the rottweilers of Atlanticist reaction. Stand firm, Senor Zapatero! The future of all our democracies is at stake.- Yours, etc.,
FERGAL TREANOR, Cologne, Germany.
Madam, - Did a handful of Moroccans, red in tooth and claw and armed with a few pounds of plastic explosives, detonators and mobile phones, cause the havoc in Madrid? Perhaps.
And influence the outcome of the Spanish election? Probably.
And change the course of history? No.
History was changed and the genie was let out of the bottle on 9/11. And nothing ever seemed the same again.
But, modern terrorism has its roots a lot closer to home: in the IRA. The new al-Qaeda affiliates are using the wicked methods pioneered by the IRA (including the remote detonation of bombs by mobile phone), together with an evil determination to concentrate minds by disintegrating bodies in the heart of our cities.
They didn't learn that from fairy tales, even the Grimm variety.
So, how do we get these guys off our backs? By starting with the IRA. If it is not stood down and every last ounce of Semtex destroyed by Easter, let's say, then Sinn Féin should be excluded from contesting any further elections until the courts have ruled on the legitimacy of their armed wing holding as sacrosanct a constitution which overrides the Constitution of the Irish Republic, for a start.
This movement has overseen the development of terror tactics which provided a template for the wicked of the world to emulate. - Yours, etc.,
RICHARD DOWLING, Patrick Street, Mountrath, Co Laois.
Madam, - Has democracy become an optional extra for supporters of the war in Iraq? Tony Allwright (March 17th) claims that the announcement by Spain's new leader, Mr Zapatero, that he will withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq is "diabolical" and an appeasement of terror.
What is it about democracy that Mr Allwright doesn't understand? Mr Zapatero made a pre-election pledge to end the deeply unpopular Spanish involvement in the Iraq war. The Spanish people elected his Socialist Party last Sunday and now he is implementing the anti-war approach endorsed by the Spanish voters. Spain's new leader is not appeasing al-Qaeda, but representing the will of the Spanish people.
While fulfilling election promises is currently unusual in Ireland, it is otherwise considered an essential element in democratic politics. - Yours, etc.,
JOHN WALSH, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.