Sir, - The Peace & Neutrality Alliance was established because of the threat to Irish neutrality and the growing demands that the country be integrated into a nuclear armed superstate. The majority party in Government Fine Gael, openly supports the merger between the EU and the nuclear armed WEU. The EU Commission and the EU Parliament has advocated and voted in favour of the merger of the EU and the WEU.
The Government White Paper on foreign policy advocates closer ties with the nuclear armed NATO and WEU through the so called "Partnership for Peace". Since the founding statement of the PFP states: "Active participation in the Partnership for Peace will play an important role in the evolutionary process of the expansion of NATO," it is beyond doubt that any such move to cooperate with it is a decisive move towards the destruction of our neutrality. It would mean a victory for the Fine Gael wing of the Government as the existing policy of the Labour Party and Democratic Left is to support Irish neutrality. Such a move would be a rejection of a policy of positive Irish neutrality that has encouraged such initiatives as the Nonproliferation Treaty and a major contribution to world peace by the Irish Army, which, by being not part of a world power block, is a respected peacekeeping UN force throughout the world.
The destruction of our neutrality being advocated by the Government, has serious implications for our capacity to have, in the last analysis, our own foreign policy, and our involvement in war, decided by a minister responsible to the Irish people via Dail Eireann. It undermines any credible opposition to nuclear weapons or Sellafield. It would weaken our campaigns against the arms trade and human rights abuses, and end our reputation as a UN peacekeeper and destroy our respected position among poorer states.
There is a more democratic non nuclear and anti imperial future for Ireland and Europe. We should be advocating the values of positive neutrality throughout Europe instead of supporting the formation of an undemocratic nuclear armed superstate.
PANA is demanding a referendum before the Government destroys our neutrality. - Yours, etc.,
Chair,
Peace & Neutrality Alliance, Blackrock,
Co Dublin.