Madam, - Speaking both in the Dáil and in the media prior to the war in Iraq, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs were unequivocal that the war was about weapons of mass destruction and had nothing to do with oil.
What, then, do Mr Ahern and Mr Cowen make of the statement by US Deputy Defence Secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, to the recent Asian Security Council, explaining the difference between the US approach to North Korea and Iraq: "Let's look at it simply. The most important difference between North Korea and Iraq is that economically we just had no choice in Iraq. The country swims on a sea of oil."
This frank revelation prompts several questions, such as: was our Minister for Foreign Affairs duped by the United States on the issue of weapons of mass destruction? Do Mr Wolfowitz's comments make the Taoiseach and the Minister just a little abashed? However, let us not indulge in recriminations. Rather let us rather draw some lessons from this.
From the outset the Government said the United Nations route was the one to follow. We would abide by the Security Council resolutions. We even helped shape the most important of these, Resolution 1441, when we were a member of the Council. However, in the end we abandoned this principled stance for the economically expedient one of allowing the continued use of Shannon airport by the United States for an illegitimate war.
By abandoning the principles that had governed Irish foreign policy for decades we fell among the very thieves from which such principles protect us. We thought we bought the respect of the United States - and we were treated with contempt! Had we stood by our principles our position would now be vindicated.
While other countries can work for the re-establishment of the primacy of the United Nations in international law, Ireland is now just a faint voice in this most urgent debate.
As the war against terror continues it is ever more important that the Government should shed its recourse to political and economic expediency and return to our traditional values of respect for the United Nations, international law and human rights. - Yours, etc.,
JUSTIN KILCULLEN,
Director, Trócaire,
Maynooth
Co Kildare.
Madam, - Eileen Boyle's statement (June 10th) that "America has always acted in defence of liberty and freedom and has never ever taken territorial gains" must come as great comfort to generations of native American Indians. - Yours, etc.,
FEARGAL MURPHY,
Stoney Road,
Dundrum,
Dublin 14.