Madam, - It was heartening to read the letter of July 31st from eight Green Party members raising the issue of Irish complicity in the invasion of Iraq and the mayhem and destruction it caused. This movement joins them in congratulating of Archbishop John Neill for his courageous criticism of the provision of facilities in Shannon to the US military and the CIA.
This contrasts loudly with the deafening silence emanating from our political and business establishment. All the talk about "supporting our US friends" sounds ever more hollow when 70 per cent of the American people, and most Irish citizens, have turned decisively against the continuation of the war. Hardly anybody believes any longer either the US President or his generals when they assure us that "victory is still possible". More and more US soldiers, marines, veterans and families of service members are either totally disillusioned, recognising that the war was based on lies, or are now completely opposed to the continuation of the war and occupation.
Finally, the military situation is worsening despite the so-called "surge". The number of Iraqi dead is about 3,000 each month and the number of US dead in May and June were the second and third highest monthly totals since 2003. Every poll shows that the Iraqis themselves, be they Sunni, Shia, Kurd, Christian or Muslim, have also turned decisively against the occupation and the US military presence.
We fully endorse the statement made by the eight Green Party members that the credibility of our people is at stake when we congratulate ourselves for endorsing and promoting peace at home while endorsing and supporting war and killing abroad. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL YOULTON. (Co-Chair, Irish Anti-war Movement), Harolds Cross, Dublin 6W.
Madam, - Apropos of the Shannon controversy, E. Jackson (July 31st) notes the "lack of moral conscience" among our political leaders, singling out out John Gormley and Trevor Sargent. Is it not about time we applied a dose of political realism to the Green involvement in government? The Greens' prerogative is surely the environment (particularly climate change), not foreign affairs. The Green Party leadership could have stayed out of government, and would possibly have been lauded for its moral integrity in doing so. However, while such a stance might impress as principled opposition, it would achieve little more than that.
Perhaps it is time to accept that only by going into government could the Greens be effective in those areas in which they are needed most - and it was that decision which demanded true moral fibre. - Yours, etc,
TOM SHEPPARD, Foxes' Grove, Shankill, Co Dublin.
Madam, - The letter from Patricia McKenna and her fellow tree-huggers is a perversion of the truth of the Iraq war. The US is there under a UN mandate and Ireland, as a member of the UN, is required to give it all possible assistance. Of the large number of dead very few have been killed by US forces. Thank God we have a strong Government and a well educated population who support the US use of Shannon and the UN's effort to bring peace to Iraq. - Yours, etc,
BRIAN TOLAN, Templeogue, Dublin 16.
Madam, - I must admit a certain amount of individual admiration for the Green Party authors of the letter of July 31st. But I don't see the names of any of the party's TDs on the letter, nor do I see any reference to the other supposed Green policies which the party failed to to have included in the programme for government.
Given that the Greens are unlikely to have more political clout any time in the near future than they held during the formation of the current Government, when do they believe they will be able to implement this anti-war stance, or any of their other policies which they have yet to put into effect?
The question that party members needs to ask themselves is: can the small amount of power and the few policies they can implement in the current Government really justify backing the Fianna Fáil status quo? This not only prolongs the policies which many Green Party members seem to find extremely disagreeable, but does so with Green Party support. - Yours, etc,
DAVID O'FARRELL, Cuffesgrange, Kilkenny.