Sir, – The so-called triple lock, referred to by Joe Ahern (July 20th) would be an important element of Irish positive neutrality and active support for the United Nations, if properly applied. However, this triple lock mechanism has already been “picked” by the device of only applying it to units of Irish soldiers in excess of 12 individuals, thereby allowing the inappropriate sending of seven Irish soldiers to serve with the Nato ISAF force in Afghanistan.
Mr Ahern argues that the “triple-lock procedure gives any one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council . . . a veto on when or where we deploy our troops on international missions”. This abuse of their veto by the UN permanent members does not justify the use of a scatter-gun approach by sending small numbers of Irish troops to too many diverse missions with the UN, the EU, OSCE and Nato.
Other inappropriate missions were those organised at the behest of France for neo-colonial reasons in Chad and Mali. Such missions have more to do with keeping corrupt minority regimes in power rather than genuine peacekeeping. The decisions to send Irish troops to genuine UN peacekeeping missions, such as Undof in Golan Heights and Unifil in Lebanon, were well justified.
Mr Ahern calls for the “redefinition or abandonment [of Irish neutrality] in the light of a hugely changed and volatile international security environment”.
These international security changes are not changes for the better, but involved pre-emptive wars in breach of international laws in Afghanistan and Iraq, resource wars in Africa, and the use of torture and extra-judicial targeted assassinations. These crimes are facilitated by permitting US military use of Shannon airport. Irish troops should only be sent on genuine UN peacekeeping missions and Irish neutrality must not be abandoned for Redmondite concepts of imperialist wars. – Yours, etc,
EDWARD HORGAN,
Newtown,
Castletroy, Limerick.