Madam, - I agree with Vincent Browne (Opinion, December 21st) on the McDowell affair. I grew up in post-war Bavaria. Our generation was imbued with responsibility not to let something like the Nazi regime happen again. In this context the word state security (or in German Staatssicherheit) brings immediately connotation with "Stasi" in former East Germany and "Gestapo" in Nazi Germany.
We were constantly reminded during our education to be alert when Staatssicherheit might again be used to undermine democracy and the rule of law.
The McDowell affair reminds me very much of the Spiegel affair in 1962 in what was West Germany. Then a young Government minister by the name of Franz-Josef Strauss got the editor and a senior journalist of Der Spiegel arrested after he learned of the planned publication of a report that was critical of the new German army (Bundeswehr).
Thankfully the fledgling democracy in Germany prevailed, Chancellor Adenauer had to back down and Minister Strauss had to resign (and go back to his native Bavaria). The winner was a stronger press as an independent watchdog in Germany.
I think in the McDowell affair the question is not whether or not Mr Connolly was in Colombia at a certain time. For me the question is whether the Minister for Justice will be allowed to undermine democracy in Ireland. - Yours, etc,
W. KIEFEL, Tuam, Co Galway.
Madam, - There is indeed a witch-hunt out there at the moment - not for Frank Connolly but for Minister for Justice Michael McDowell. It is alleged that Frank Connolly was in Colombia in connection with the links between Farc and the IRA. These allegations were made public over two years ago, yet Frank Connolly still refuses to account for his whereabouts at the time.
The Centre for Public Inquiry claims to desire the highest standards of public office, but it has not asked Frank Connolly to step aside until his name can be cleared. I believe that if Frank Connolly was interviewing himself he would be satifsfied by his own answers - so why should we? - Yours, etc,
BRENDAN COLLINS, Bushy Park Road, Dublin 6.