PAOLO CERIONI,
Madam, - Trevor Troy (November 5th) notes that "the interests of Ireland and the Iraqi people will best be served by supporting the US and not those for whom war against any dictator, no matter how savage, will always be wrong."
If the US was known for its continued and relentless war against any dictator, the issue would be straightforward and there would be no need for debate. Sadly, its choice of targets has been questionable. For unpleasant dictators to be likely to be a US target, they must fulfil certain characteristics: (a) be in the Middle East or any other area of strategic importance; (b) have vast amounts of oil; (c) possibly, have an Islamic tilt.
No one disputes that Saddam Hussein is a ruthless dictator. But he was a ruthless dictator during the 1980s, when the US, Britain and other Western countries were willing to court him and flood him with weapons as long as he kept the then Islamic threat of the day (Iran) in check.
There are plenty of other dicators in the world with whom the US is perfectly willing to do business. So why not admit once and for all the real motives behind this sudden surge to wage war against Iraq instead of putting forward the endless, nauseating, drumming heap of hypocritical arguments we hear and read every single day? - Yours, etc.,
PAOLO CERIONI,
rue Charlemagne,
Luxembourg.