Sir, - Kevin Myers made a number of excellent points regarding the neglect of the military in his Irishman's Diary of December 18th. I would like to add that it is important to recognise the inherent danger of not having a guiding defence doctrine and of allowing the politicians to pursue an arbitrary and piecemeal policy.
Vagueness is the natural ally of the politician - and politicians have got away with neglecting the military for so many years because there has not been a defence doctrine with very specific goals in place.
The Irish military should be capable of carrying out peacekeeping/lifesaving operations in the North in the event of a "doomsday situation" and should be able to defend the State against foreign aggression. These two objectives should form the core of Irish defence doctrine.
Without a defence doctrine, there is no standard to which the politicians can be held accountable. - Yours, etc.,
Patrick Breen, Hoover, Alabama, USA.
