Madam, - What a world of contradictory values we inhabit. The Israeli army, supported morally by their American allies, target a motor car in Palestine for a missile strike. Half-a-dozen people, including a five-year-old boy, are killed. A stony silence ensues from the international community.
Meanwhile the US ambassador to Venezuela, representing a regime that has attempted to unseat the democratically elected President Hugo Chavez by every means including foul ones, has a few eggs and tomatoes thrown at his car. Result? We are treated to a furious response from Washington about "this outrageous violation of the Vienna Convention".
I suppose we should be grateful that despite their open contempt for most global conventions, including those of Geneva, the Bush cabal does at least selectively support a few international institutions. - Yours, etc,
Senator DAVID NORRIS, Seanad Éireann, Dublin 2.