A Catholic bishop last night joined the criticism of recent US military action as President Clinton ended the second day of his visit to Ireland.
It was "difficult to see" how the United States' response to the bombing of its embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam "makes the world a safer place" for US citizens and the people who work with them, the chairman of Trocaire, Bishop John Kirby, said.
The attacks on the US embassies "were dreadful acts of terror and were clearly designed to bring about the maximum number of casualties". However, he said it had to be questioned whether the United States' bombing of a chemical plant near Khartoum and its strike at Mr Osama bin Laden's alleged bases on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan had succeeded in reducing the risk of further attacks.
"Tit-for-tat actions such as we have seen in recent weeks" could "only lead to further death and destruction", he said.
Bishop Kirby concluded that the causes of such terrorism "are political and linked to poverty, the denial of human rights and oppression".