Sir, - I realise that as I now live and work in the US, I have a strong pro-American bias that many might think disqualifies me from meaningful comment on Ireland's response to the recent attacks. However, I am still an Irish citizen, and I feel compelled to offer a couple of practical suggestions.
To republican and loyalist paramilitaries: Give it up. Nobody in their right mind could countenance further bloodshed now that we have seen the strategy that has underpinned our own conflict taken to its previously unthinkable extreme. Instead, offer your assistance in the fight against terrorism. There can be few organisations in the world as well positioned to provide insight into, and possibly even access to, fundamentalist terrorist organisations.
To the Irish Government: Get off the fence. Offer the use of the Θlite Ranger unit as part of any international armed response to terrorist activities. One has to presume, given Ireland's unique national security requirements, that these troops are trained specifically for close-quarter engagements with guerilla organisations.- Yours, etc.,
John Fitzgibbon, Dolores Street, San Francisco, USA.