Madam - Not in my name! I object strenuously to any American fighter pilot hanging out the Irish Tricolour on his aircraft, as reported by Tom Clonan in his nauseating article, "Flying in the face of controversy", (Weekend Review, June 23rd).
He was careful to avoid describing the "controversy", which is the opposition of many Irish people to the Salthill Air Show being made a mere puppet of the propaganda agents of the US air force.
"We're excited to be here and to unveil the Irish flag on our jets," ranted one Lieut Col Kevin Robbins, commander of the Thunderbirds display group, many of whose pilots have "operated" in Iraq. How dare you, buster - take the flag of my country off your killing machines. How dare you think we support what you do! But now at least the organisers of the Salthill Air Show, those who read The Irish Timesat any rate, can have read for themselves that their beloved Thunderbirds, according to the flag-thief Robbins, are in Ireland "to demonstrate the combat capabilities of the aircraft of the United States air force."
Now you know, folks, what we mad lefties in Galway have been telling you all along. You're a tool, nothing more. You've even sold your country's flag to Mr Robbins.
Any protest on the way from our political representatives? - Yours, etc,
FRED JOHNSTON,
Carn Ard,
Circular Road,
Galway.
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Madam, - In Tom Clonan's "Flying in the Face of Controversy", in last Saturday's Weekend Review (June 23rd), I found the high praise by American pilots for Ireland - "Ireland's views on human rights and freedom are exactly the same as those of the United States" - chilling and sinister in the extreme; because this statement is true.
In practice, this means that we are colluding with, and giving practical assistance in the form of refuelling facilities to, the United States in its still-continuing practices of torture, invasion, and conducting terror tactics and slaughter of civilian populations. - Yours, etc,
MAUREEN McDONNELL,
Mulgrave Street,
Dún Laoghaire.