Sir, - In his report "Crowded camp at Blace . . ." (The Irish Times", May 1st) Patsy McGarry makes the observation: "Our country [Ireland], it seems, has extended its neutrality to the realm of compassion" with regard to Ireland's intake of Kosovo refugees. The phrases "we have no quarrel with" and "are not at war with the people" of Serbia and Kosovo have been liberally used by NATO leaders and NATO member state heads.
Having spent time in central Bosnia in a journalistic capacity I have witnessed the devastation and destruction to both its people and property.
NATO forces are now extending this devastation across Kosovo, Serbia and surrounding countries. There may be issues of fratricide and genocide instigated by the controlling regime under Milosevic that any civilised nation should abhor and seek to end.
However, the destruction now taking place by the hand of NATO includes the destruction of property that would, in normal circumstances, form part of the infrastructure of society. It would seem an irrational argument therefore to bandy the platitude of having no argument with the people.
The nail bombs in London brought home the terrible impact of violence to those who sit and watch the televised pictures from Kosovo secure in their homes. Imagine a nail bomb the size of a Cruise missile, or a 1,000 lb. Laser-guided bomb.
Are we really saying that the whole might of the civilised world does not have the strength and wherewithal to put a conclusive end to the problems in Kosovo other than by raining bombs down from the sky? - Yours, etc., Keith Harris,
Head of News, News Eireann, Cecil Street, Limerick.