Sir, – There is much evidence to support the maxim that the first casualty of war is truth and scant attention is often paid to the more complex background story of conflict.
Inspections by UN and US inspectors, for example, revealed that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and that the war was waged under false pretences.
Article 29 of the Constitution affirms our “adherence to the principle of the pacific settlement of international disputes by international arbitration or judicial determination”. It is evident that, as a neutral country, Ireland has a clear and compelling responsibility to act as a peacemaker and to negotiate between belligerents, and not simply to act as a bystander.
Surely Ireland, as a neutral country, must not join Nato or contribute to the polarisation of the debate, but instead work for peace and assess what interventions it can make to avoid further suffering and loss of life. – Yours, etc,
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ELIZABETH
CULLEN,
Kilcullen,
Co Kildare.