Sir, – In 1948, the US under the Truman administration, and in conjunction with the UK, were making 250 daily airlifts into Berlin to supply that city with food and fuel when Stalin closed off all road and rail access. The airlift continued for nearly a year. Fast-forward 70 years and a military-industrial complex later, and the US resolve under the Biden administration has proven utterly incapable of anything remotely akin to that airlift. God help those tired, those poor, those huddled masses, yearning to be free who will be left behind at Kabul airport. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN FALTER,
Ballyshannon,
Co Donegal.
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Sir, – Like many people I am greatly disturbed by the distressing scenes at Kabul airport.
The UK has agreed to accept 20,000 refugees. The Irish Government has said it will accept 200 people. A derisory offer that can hardly be described as showing generosity of spirit. – Yours, etc,
LEE CASEY,
Derry.
Sir, – The cruellest aspect of Afghanistan’s tragedy is that perhaps it could not have been avoided, regardless of whatever withdrawal plan was employed.
Any movement of civilians, slow and low numbers at first, could have created rumours and palpable fear of coming events.
A stream of evacuees would become a flood of panicked, desperate families.
The Taliban are ruthless, brutal extremists.
Whatever the circumstances of the American and Nato withdrawal, initially proposed during the Obama administration, the Taliban would have laid plans of savage reprisals against any and all supporters of the elected government still in the country. – Yours, etc,
DAN DONOVAN,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford.
Sir, – Last week’s letters were rife with moralistic indictments from readers criticising the American withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years.
If our friends are so concerned about the American withdrawal, why don’t they lobby their TDs to send the Army and EU partners to defend Kabul, instead of expecting young men from Detroit, Knoxville, and El Paso to lose life and limb for this noble cause? – Yours, etc,
STEPHEN SHINE,
Kilkenny.