Sir, - The Peace and Neutrality Alliance was established to defend Irish neutrality and to oppose moves to transform the EU into a federal, nuclear-armed superstate. We believe the EU should be a civic institution for trade and commerce while Irish defence and security concerns should be operated through global institutions such as the United Nations rather than through the WEU or NATO-sponsored organisations such as the Partnership for Peace.
The Fianna Fail election manifesto at the last general election stated: "Fianna Fail are committed to nuclear disarmament. We will oppose any moves to edge Ireland closer to membership of an alliance still committed to the deployment and use of nuclear weapons. We oppose Irish participation in NATO itself, in NATO led organisations such as the Partnership for Peace, or in the Western European Union beyond observer status."
PANA fully supported the manifesto.
Now the Minister of Defence, Mr Smith, is quoted in The Irish Times as supporting Irish involvement in the Partnership for Peace and the Minister for Foreign Affairs is calling for a debate on the issue.
It is clear that the manifesto on which Fianna Fail was elected to office did not include Irish membership of the PfP. It is also clear that there is no debate in the media. The Irish Times is the only newspaper to give the issue any coverage, and even then the articles it publishes are virtually all in favour, so, whatever is going on, it is not a debate, more of a series of lectures on why we should form a link with a nuclear armed military alliance while at the same time claiming to be against nuclear weapons.
If the elite are so confident that our future lies in becoming a small region of nuclear armed superstate or in linking our State to a nuclear armed alliance, why are they frightened of debate? Do they fear the people? - Yours, etc., Roger Cole, Chair,
Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Springhill Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin.