Madam, - The failure of massive public protest in February and March to stop the invasion of Iraq was due to bullish and cavalier behaviour on the part of Mr Bush and Mr Blair.
These two gentlemen led us to believe that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, that these weapons were an immanent threat to world peace, that Iraq was somehow linked to the September 11th atrocities, that Iraqis were waiting with bated breath to be liberated by the invading force, that no attack would take place without UN authorisation. All of these claims have now turned out to be false.
Irish Government leaders, including Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Tánaiste Mary Harney, equally bullish and cavalier, gave their assent to all of these false claims by agreeing to hand over an Irish airport to assist George W Bush's disgraceful war effort. In the US and UK there is an attempt at least to call their leaders to account, but here in Ireland, latent anger is muted and is surfacing only in other areas of dissatisfaction - which are many.
The second international day of protest today is the first opportunity the anti-war population has been offered to tell those Governments who supported the US and UK against the wishes of their people that they did wrong.
Here in Ireland, today is not just an opportunity to remind the powers that be that they have egg on their faces. It is more importantly an occasion to insist that the occupation of Iraq by the US and the occupation of Palestine by Israel continue to be wrong and that public pressure continues to oppose them non-violently.
It is also a time to show support for those who have put their liberty on the line by engaging in non-violent civil disobedience in Shannon and elsewhere. Large numbers turning out again today would remind our Government that the wrongness of invading Iraq has not been forgotten and that no Government should ever again hand over an Irish airport to a warring foreign power with impunity- Yours, etc.,
JUSTIN MORAHAN, Scholarstown Park, Dublin 16