Sir, – Without commenting on the merits of Ireland becoming a member of Nato, it is remarkable to see the continued lack of knowledge as to what Nato actually is and how it operates (May 20th). Nato members are committed to common defence through its Article Five, but the manner of how to contribute is left up to individual states. Hence when Article Five was invoked after the September 11th attacks, many Nato states had only a limited role in military operations in Afghanistan. The alliance's supreme political decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, makes decisions on the basis of unanimity. That is, each Nato member has a veto over Nato policy. Irish opponents of Nato policy should be clamouring for a seat on the council!
The historical experience has shown that far from being dominated by America, Nato’s smaller members have had a strong role in the development of the alliance and its operations. Those who speak of a “Nato foreign policy” or putting “our sons and daughters into the Nato military front line against those who do not share the American world view” fundamentally misunderstand what Nato is, what it does, and how it does it.
As to the moral and ethical components of the debate, I struggle to defend Ireland’s policy of neutrality in the historical context. Ireland faced the same threat from the Soviet Union during the cold war as the rest of our European neighbours, yet contributed nothing to its common defence. The same was true during the second World War, when we let others fight and die in Europe against the threat of Nazi barbarism, which would have consumed our State as well if left untouched.
There are extremely good arguments for and against Ireland’s entry into Nato as it actually exists, and how to address the security situation in Europe as it actually exists. It serves no-one to base a debate on portrayals of either that have zero relation to reality. – Yours, etc,
Dr DARAGH McDOWELL,
Thomas Street,
Bath,
England.