Madam , - We, the Green Party members listed below, would like to congratulate Archbishop John Neill on his courageous and thought-provoking criticism of the US military and CIA use of Shannon airport. The Archbishop's words have not only drawn attention to one of the most morally unacceptable political scandals in the history of the Irish State, but has also highlighted the deafening silence of other churches and their failure to speak out for the victims of war and military aggression.
The silence of the Catholic bishops on the Irish Government's complicity in the Iraq war does a great disservice to their congregation and the many clergy who have actively campaigned against this illegal war. We are deeply saddened by, and feel a certain moral responsibility for, our party's failure thus far to have one of its key principles - opposition to war - included in the programme for government. We believe the continued US abuse of Irish neutrality is morally and politically wrong.
We hope the archbishop's words will encourage others, particularly within the Catholic Church and the political establishment, to speak out.
Why must international peace always be the first casualty in political compromises? Peace was achieved in Northern Ireland by political courage and by the abandonment of guns, bombs and killing machines. The credibility and integrity of the Irish people are at stake if we promote peace at home and wars abroad.
The Iraq war has probably caused the deaths of over half-a-million people so far, including over a quarter-of-a-million children. Iraqi children are dying so that Irish children can benefit from American investment and jobs in Ireland.
Ireland is currently complicit in these crimes against the wishes of the Irish people. We believe that in a referendum on this issue Irish people would vote against our territory being misused for such unjust and immoral purposes. But even if a majority supported Ireland's participation in the Iraq war, it is still inherently wrong. The killing of innocent people can never be in the long-term interests of the Irish people. - Yours, etc,
PATRICIA McKENNA (former MEP), Cllr Niall O'BROLCHAIN, Cllr CHRIS O'LEARY, Cllr BETTY DORAN, Cllr MALCOLM NOONAN, EDWARD HORGAN, KRISTINA McELROY, ANITA CURTIS, c/o Newtown, Castletroy, Limerick.
Madam, - What a pleasant surprise to read the comments of Most Rev John Neill, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin. In very few words he had the courage to highlight the lack of moral conscience among our present political leaders.
I feel very let down by Messrs Gormley and Sargent. I really thought these were the sort of people we needed to inject some moral fibre into the Government. How stupid was that? - Yours, etc,
E JACKSON, Foulksmills, Co Wexford.
Madam, - Well done to the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Rev Dr Neill, on the Hot Press interview reported in last Thursday's edition. His candour is encouraging and he certainly ticks a lot of boxes.
It's possible - though I'm sure this was not necessarily his intention - that it will do his church a power of good in the long term. When you think of it, we are being constantly bombarded in our daily lives to switch our various service providers. - Yours, etc,
ARTHUR DUNNE, Blackrock, Co Dublin.