IVANA BACIK,
Madam, - It is no surprise that Irish technology firms are profiting from the war on Iraq, which they say has "created opportunities" for increased business (The Irish Times, January 15th). This war is, after all, going to be fought for US business interests - to win American access to oil reserves, not to defend human rights or oppose terrorism.
As a neutral country, Ireland should have taken a more principled stand against war on the UN Security Council. As a neutral country, we should now take a principled stand against facilitating the build-up to war, by ensuring that US planes carrying munitions do not have the use of Shannon airport for re-fuelling.
Are we to remain complicit, willing accomplices in the war machine, our private sector providing software for US missiles, our public sector providing airports? We have the power to change this; we should support the anti-war movement, and add our voices to campaigns elsewhere calling a halt to the military madness. - Yours, etc.
IVANA BACIK, Law School, Trinity College, Dublin 2.
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Madam, - Ireland was one of the 15 members of the UN Security Council that unanimously demanded action in the interests of international security from one of the most dangerous dictators on the world stage. After 11 years of failure, the demand on this occasion was backed by the threat that failure to co-operate would result in the consideration of enforcement. Saddam's response to this threat gives reason to hope.
The preparations for enforcement, of which Shannon plays a part, must be assumed to be a factor. The capability of the UN to carry out the threatened action must be both visible and credible in order to be effective. Strong speeches in the White House, Westminster or the EU Parliament on their own would merely provide the mother of all dictators with the excuse to make the mother of all speeches of defiance.
It seems to have escaped the peace campers' notice that, in fact, there is no war in progress and that the Americans and other members of the UN are simply taking appropriate action now in order to be ready to enforce the demands of the UN should that contingency arise. In this they are not alone in preparing to be ready to do what they could be asked to do. All armies do that continuously. They are paid to train, equip and position themselves in order more efficiently to carry out any likely mission.
States contribute to international security in accordance with their size and wealth. It is sincerely to be wished that it does not put the campers off their sausages to know that in this small country the Army is continually training and preparing itself for whatever new contribution it may be asked to make by the UN. And this includes the kind of travel outside the country that could be objected to by some foreign "peace campers" in search of their share of excitement and publicity.
At one time Western interests accepted Saddam as a block, as a lesser of two evils, against the expansion of militant Iranian fundamentalism and and accordingly helped him. Now he is seen as a threat to world peace, the politico-military objective of the present UN operation is simply to arrive at a clear conclusion. This is what will decide the UN on the question of war, not people pushing themselves forward as being more peace-loving and aware of our international responsibilities than the Government and the plain people of Ireland.
A family friend, an Iraqi doctor, has reports from the real Iraq to indicate the desire of the people there to free themselves from the evil dictatorship. But do some people here really believe that Saddam is just a "decent old slob"? What more does he have to do to convince them? Perhaps order the death of every first-born child in Baghdad? - Yours, etc.,
P.D. GOGGIN, Glenageary Woods, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
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Madam, - A curious fact struck me as I sat down to write this letter. The US has just sent 60,000 combat troops to the Gulf to join the 90,000 already there. Britain is sending a marine assault task force, and both countries maintain hundreds of war planes which regularly patrol Iraqi airspace and attack Iraqi targets. Yet we are asked to believe that it is Iraq which is threatening America. Strange.
Anyway, my point: The Government maintains that allowing US warplanes to use Shannon airport does not compromise our neutrality, and does not represent taking sides in a foreign conflict. May I call on it to demonstrate this by contacting the Iraqi government and offering it the use of Dublin airport? I realise this would largely be a symbolic gesture, since Iraq is not sending tens of thousands of combat troops to Canada or Mexico in preparation for an attack on the United States. - Yours, etc.,
BRIAN MacGABHANN, Béal an Daingin, Conamara, Co na Gaillimhe.
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Madam, - The argument as to whether or not munitions are passing through Shannon is to my mind not the central issue. It is undeniable that the troops passing through Shannon will be involved in any possible war of aggression. Thus the Irish Government is aiding the invasion of a foreign nation by another, ipso facto forgoing neutrality.
The truth is that we are not, nor have ever been, a neutral country. We have always provided assistance to our allies in various forms - the problem now being that our ally is preparing for a morally unjustifiable war for personal gain.
I am not criticising the position of the Irish Government: it acts as it does out of political and diplomatic necessity. The undemocratic and repeatedly stated US foreign policy since September 11th, 2001 is that any country not actively supporting the US and its objectives will be subject to economic, military or other punishment. The Bush administration has shown that these are not idle threats.
Our Government is far from alone: there are many governments being forced by the US to act against their people's will and constitution. To think our Government can do otherwise without consequences is politically naive, though I fault our leaders for their chicanery and lack of transparency. They have a habit of treating us as if we do not know what is best for ourselves; and perhaps they are correct considering we voted them in. - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL McNALLY, Rushfield Avenue, Belfast 7.
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Madam, - You report Garda Supt John Kerin of Ennis as saying, "If people have information that there is a threat by al-Qaeda or any other group we will ask them to come forward and give us information so we can investigate it" (The Irish Times, January 14th).
I have reason to believe that a foreign power is engaged in smuggling arms through Shannon Airport, that certain public service bodies are conspiring to conceal the smuggling and that the arms are intended for use in acts of terrorism against the Iraqi people. I would be grateful if Supt Kerin would investigate the matter, which he can easily do by checking the cargoes of aeroplanes passing through Shannon Airport. - Yours, etc.,
BRIAN J. GOGGIN, Stradbally North, Co Limerick.