Madam, - Whatever the rights and wrongs of the initial invasion of Iraq by the US and Britain, what cannot be disputed is that UN Resolution 1483 (2003) recognises both these countries as the occupying powers and mandates them to ensure the peace and stability of Iraq and its people. It also asks all UN members to give every assistance in this regard and allowing the US military to use Shannon airport is a small of part of this assistance.
This is not enough for some politicians and letter-writers to The Irish Times. They are still going on about the original invasion and seem to have failed to grasp that the reality on the ground has changed. The US is fighting a plethora of thugs, criminals and religious fanatics who would make life for Iraqis unbearable if they were to gain control. It is they, and not the US military, who are responsible for most of the deaths to which Chris Ó Rálaigh alludes.
Withdrawing permission for the troops to use Shannon would be a minor irritation to the US but would make us look smug, selfish and sanctimonious. We live a long way from the conflict zones of the world, but this doesn't mean we should pontificate to the US, which inevitably ends up doing the heavy lifting when in comes to facing down tyrants and fanatics. Nothing shows up the moral bankruptcy of the anti-war (anti-American?) movement more than their shrill denunciation of the Americans and their silence regarding the far worse abuses committed by America's enemies. - Yours, etc,
PAUL WILLIAMS, Circular Road, Kilkee, Co Clare.