Sir, - It never ceases to amaze me that some people in Ireland pour out a constant stream of anti-American vituperation. My nation acts in its own self-interest, of course - so does every nation. But my nation also takes on the burden of defeating the conquerors of other nations and other peoples. It would be instructive to inquire of the Kurds in Northern Iraq if they prefer American air patrols or Iraqi nerve-gas attacks. They have experienced both. The slaughter in Bosnia continued without let - until the US stepped in. The bombardment of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo continued without hindrance, until NATO, armed with US aircraft, stepped in. Kuwait, a harmless little country, was brutally occupied by its neighbour Iraq until the US and its allies rescued it and indirectly rescued Saudi Arabia. The proposed peace in Northern Ireland was largely brokered by American diplomats. I listen to the Irish National Anthem now and then. There is a line: "Some have come from across the sea." We are still coming. I hope we will continue to encounter the Ireland of the Welcomes, not the Ireland of the carpers and begrudgers. - Yours, etc., John R. Culleton, Jnr,
Sykesville,
Maryland,
USA.