Madam, - Eoin Ryan's letter (April 7th) reads very well and his remarks on globalisation and terrorism are to be welcomed, especially his statement that "the solution lay not in the kind of military action which the Americans took in Iraq, but rather in addressing the underlying issues which give rise to terrorism".
However, since the same Mr Ryan, along with all the other Soldiers of Destiny, voted in favour of collaborating with the illegal American conquest of Iraq by allowing over 125,000 US soldiers to use Shannon airport on their way to their new colony and their oil, I would hope Mr Ryan does not expect to be taken seriously.
Since the Hague Convention of 1907, a state which wishes to be regarded as neutral in international law cannot allow its territory to be used by belligerents in a war.
As a consequence, for example, Switzerland did not allow US troops to use Zurich airport. It is therefore no wonder that when I asked the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, at the Forum on Europe what the legal basis was on which he continues to claim Ireland is neutral, he refused to answer.
The reality is that Mr Ahern is the first nationalist leader since John Redmond to support an imperial war. In that war over 50,000 Irish people died. After Madrid, Irish people have a right to know how many Irish people will die in this war which Mr Ahern and Mr Ryan and others have led us into.
The people of Spain did not support Mr Aznar's decision to support the war and in their election voted to remove the PP from power. On June 11th the Irish people in the EU and local elections have the opportunity to give a clear message to Mr Ahern that they, like the Spanish people, do not want to die for President Bush. - Yours, etc.,
ROGER COLE, Chair, Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Silchester Park, Glenageary, Co Dublin.