Sir, - Roger Cole (Opinion, December 18th) portrays the EU as an evil empire, sending out an army on an imperialist mission to protect its selfish oil interests.
The truth is quite different. The idea of a European Union was born out of the tragedy of the second World War and the determination that peace must be maintained.
The EU has not always fulfilled this role, as was shown in Kosovo. The Treaty of Amsterdam (not Nice) sought to rectify this. The European Rapid Reaction Force was legally created in that Treaty. Amsterdam stated that the objectives of the Union shall include "preserving peace and strengthening international security, in accordance with the United Nations Charter, promoting international co-operation and developing and consolidating democracy and the rule of law, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms."
The Irish people endorsed these objectives when they agreed to ratify the Treaty of Amsterdam in a referendum in June 1998. Mr Cole must respect that result and in doing so respect the decision of the European Council to send an armed force to Afghanistan which adheres to the objectives set out in Amsterdam.
Mr Cole is wrong to suggest that, by sending this force to Afghanistan, the EU is defying the wish of the Irish people as expressed in the Nice referendum. The Treaty of Nice did not create any new military capabilities for the EU. In fact it specifically states that the enhanced co-operation in the Treaty "shall not relate to matters having military or defence implications".
The article which the Chairman of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance has written is false and the reason why the McKenna judgment has been criticised is because its effect was to present such allegations as fact to the electorate before referendums. - Yours, etc.,
George Johnston , Anglesea Road, Dublin 4.