Madam, - Tony Allwright (February 8th) castigates me for suggesting the Iraqis are not ready for (Western) freedom. Interestingly, Charles Krauthammer's column of February 5th concedes the very point in his final two sentences - about the only aspect on which I agreed with him.
David Leach (February 12th) seriously misquotes my letter of February 7th at two points. I deliberately used the phrase "for the time being. . . authoritarian rule". The phrase "totalitarian dictatorship" is his own. Nor did I, or would I, call the Iraqis backward.
I suggest that one key distinction between authoritarian rule and totalitarian dictatorship is that the more responsible authoritarian rulers are committed to evolving a democratic process. Totalitarian dictators are not. Pakistan's General Musharraf may be one of the former. Ataturk's successor in Turkey, Ismet Inonu, certainly was.
I would gently challenge Mr Allwright and Mr Leach to answer two questions: Why has no Arab country to date evolved a democratic process recognisable in Western terms? Why has the the US-UK introduction of "freedom" to Iraq degenerated into a seemingly unstoppable civil war that cost over 30,000 Iraqi lives in 2006 alone? - Yours, etc,
ALAN BARWISE, Dalkey, Co Dublin.
Madam, - The views of Charles Krauthammer are a refreshing change from the current fashion for anti-American, politically correct and left-leaning opinion pieces in newspapers across Europe. Even discounting the insight and common sense displayed by Mr Krauthammer, his column provides a welcome contrast to the overall tone of The Irish Timesand for that reason alone must not only be retained but encouraged. - Yours, etc,
CONOR REDMOND, Finanagh, Quin, Co Clare.