Chechnya And The West

Sir, - While reports from Chechnya of increasing civilian casualties and refugee columns flood the Western media, there are only…

Sir, - While reports from Chechnya of increasing civilian casualties and refugee columns flood the Western media, there are only mooted protests from the Western democracies. Where are the shrill threats from Madeleine Albright, or the outraged condemnation from Robin Cook? True, Tony Blair sent a strong letter to the Russians - undoubtedly, the Chechen refugees will derive a lot of comfort from it!

But there are no threats of UN sanctions, nor of the use of NATO's smart and not-so-smart bombs. And rightly so! For it is one thing to pulverise a country the size of Yugoslavia into submission, and quite another to stand up to the might of the Russian bear.

At the risk of sounding cynical, may I suggest that the West is hoping that the Russians will finish the job quickly, thus saving the West from the embarrassment of having to do something. Which all goes to show, to paraphrase George Orwell, that all refugees are equal, but some are more equal than others! - Yours, etc.,

Zivko Jacsic, Serbian Information Bureau, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.