Sir, - Garret FitzGerald devoted most of his column of June 2nd to attacking the advocates of a No vote to the Nice Treaty instead of addressing the actual issues that arise from the Treaty itself.
He claims, among other things, that we have a "drawbridge mentality" that sees involvement with the world outside Ireland almost entirely negatively. The president of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance is the Rev Terence McCaughey, who for 25 years was chair of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement.
Our vice-presidents include Brendan Butler of the El Salvador Irish Support Group, Tom Hyland of the East Timor Ireland Soldiarity Campaign, Denis Halliday, former assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, Bruce Kent of British CND, Declan McKenna of the Cuba Support Group-Ireland and Pat Raleigh of Burma Action Ireland.
Last year, PANA helped to organise a conference on the United Nations which included speakers such as Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, David Andrews, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Joe Murray of AFrI, Justin Kilcullen of Trocaire, Mary Lawlor, the then director of Amnesty International Ireland, Terence Duffy of the Irish United Nations Association, Paddy Duffy of Concern Worldwide and John de Courcy Ireland of Irish CND.
How, therefore, can Garret FitzGerald accuse us of having a view of the world that is entirely negative and expect to be believed? PANA wrote to all applicant states making it clear that we have no problem with expansion as long as it is done in a democratic manner. We are not "isolationist". We are, however, opposed to the militarisation of the EU. We do not support the creation of the European army, the Rapid Reaction Force. We seek a protocol which the Danes already have, which would exclude Ireland from paying for or involvement with this European army. Since the Treaty does not have to be ratified until the end of 2002 there is plenty of time. - Yours, etc., ROGER COLE,
Chair, PANA, Blackrock, Co Dublin.