Sir, - Prof Brigid Laffan told a recent meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs that Europe needs a means of responding to conflicts such as those in the Balkans. I couldn't agree more - but what makes her think that the 15 member states of the European Union have the right to act as self-appointed judge and jury over disputes in other parts of Europe?
Many of the EU members cannot solve the ethnic conflicts within their own borders. It is hypocritical of Britain to propose peace-making forces in former Yugoslavia when it always opposed the idea of a peace-keeping force in Northern Ireland. Its concern for the lives of innocent civilians rings a little hollow while it continues to export military aircraft to Indonesia which are known to be used against civilians in East Timor.
Spain, as another example, has its own ethnic problems. Recently, the entire leadership of a Basque nationalist party were jailed for seven years for conveying a peace proposal from ETA. How would the Spanish government react if a group of countries in Eastern Europe, for example, decided on their own initiative to send in a peacekeeping force?
The Amsterdam Treaty, if passed, will allow the EU to send combat forces (possibly including Irish troops) anywhere in the world to engage in "crisis management" - which can mean just about anything.
Europe, and indeed the world, certainly needs a means to intervene in conflicts (preferably before they turn violent), but this must be done through all-embracing bodies such as the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The powers of these bodies are currently quite inadequate but this is the fault of the main powers including EU members Britain, France, Germany, etc., who want to retain control for themselves. Ireland should not assist them in their power games. - Yours, etc.,
John Gormley TD
Stella Gardens, Irishtown, Dublin 4.