Sir, - I was distressed to read Jim Cusack's article of July 29th about the new Chief of Staff, Maj Gen Colm Mangan. Having outlined his distinguished Army experience abroad under the UN, Mr Cusack went on to describe his forthcoming role as "command[ing] a force that will have a real military role" (my italics).
Is Mr Cusack hereby implying that up to now Colm Mangan has been playing toy soldiers (in Cyprus, the Golan Heights, and south Lebanon)? Mr Cusack goes on: "The move towards greater EU defence involvement will coincide with the diminution of the Defence Forces' peacekeeping role in the UN, marking a major policy change on behalf of Government." In one fell sweep, Mr Cusack concludes that due to the failure of the UN in Somalia and the former Yugoslavia, a UN peacekeeping role for Ireland and "[other] European military nations" is no longer an option. He closes his article with apparent satisfaction that now, at last, Maj Gen Mangan can create a "new professional Army".
I hope many of my fellow citizens were, like me, disturbed by the fait accompli of Mr Cusack's article. May I point out that we Irish citizens have been denied a referendum with regard to joining PfP? Are my fellow citizens so stressed out by our Celtic Tiger economy that they will stand idly by while Mr Cowen plans to sign us up to a federal Europe in December 2000?
Tom Hyland, who has firsthand experience of the failure of the UN in East Timor, spoke at the recent PANA Convention in Dublin. I believe he spoke for the majority of Irish people when he affirmed the UN as "the only game in town". - Yours, etc.
Aine Ni Cuirteis, Dublin 6.