Madam, - It is disappointing to see Charles Krauthammer, after a period of common sense, return to the role of cheerleader for President George W. Bush. His claim of "vindication" for Bush's position on stem-cell research is quite unconvincing (Opinion, December 3rd).
This is an attempt to hype the president's policy at the expense of the truth, because the ban on stem cell research has been a major embarrassment for Republicans.
The recent discovery of an embryo-free way to produce stem-cells depended on the preceding embryonic method that Bush claimed was unethical and should not have happened. Also, the effects of the discovery are far from clear. It is much too soon to assert that "the stem-cell debate is over". Embryonic stem cell research will certainly continue and to end it immediately would be premature.
President Bush did a great disservice to American science by his ban. The laboratories, technicians, graduate students and scientists who might have advanced this important research over the past six years cannot be brought into existence overnight. Nor can President Bush give back to people suffering from Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease the years they might have saved for normal lives if the search for cures had been advanced.
Last week, Mr Krauthammer was extolling victory for the "surge" strategy in Iraq. Here also, he was being woefully premature. Despite claims to the contrary, there is still no sign of a large-scale return of refugees to their homes, which would be the surest sign of success. President Bush cannot overnight repair the fabric of a society that he is largely responsible for destroying; nor can he bring back to life the war dead, estimated to be somewhere between 100,000 and a million.- Yours, etc,
TOBY JOYCE,
Balreask Manor,
Navan,
Co Meath.