Sir, - Whatever one thinks about the timing of the US and British terror bombing of Iraq, it does put into perspective suggestions that Ireland should join the Commonwealth and the NATO Partnership for Peace organisation and raise some questions about these suggestions.
With the Commonwealth seriously divided about the bombing of Iraq and Britain's participation in it, might Ireland be similarly embarrassed and made guilty by association some time in the future if it were to join the Commonwealth? Ditto for NATO's Partnership for Peace. Would Ireland be associated with this type of bombing through such a NATO organisation, particularly if the US required NATO and Partnership for Peace to be so? - Yours, etc., Joe Murphy,
Wiggin Street, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.