Sir, - Daniel Keohane states (World View, May 12th) that "Irish troops will not participate without a UN mandate and Dail approval." However, the only guarantee that the Irish people have that this will be the case is the word of Bertie Ahern, Brian Cowen and this Fianna Fail administration.
This commitment cannot be depended upon, considering it is coming from the very same people who brought us the Fianna Fail 1997 general election manifesto. In this, Fianna Fail gave a specific commitment, that if returned to Government, it would hold a referendum before Ireland would join NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP).
Bertie Ahern and his colleagues then disregarded that commitment and joined PfP without the promised referendum. In light of this, any commitment by this Fianna Fail-led Government that Irish troops will not participate in RRF operations without a UN mandate are worthless. They went back on their word to the Irish people then. Why should anyone be foolish enough to believe they will do any different now? - Is mise,
Gerry Casey, Rosewood Court, Maugheraboy, Sligo.