Sir, - The Peace and Neutrality Alliance is opposed to Ireland's membership of the PfP as advocated by the current leadership of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Since Fianna Fail fought the last election with a manifesto which opposed PfP membership, we believe it has no democratic mandate to join it and we call upon the Taoiseach to keep his word when he called for a referendum. In case he has forgotten, let me remind him that on March 29th, 1996, he stated in the Dail that any attempt to join the PfP without a referendum would be a "serious breach of faith and fundamentally undemocratic."
He went on: "While the Government may reassure the public that there are no implications for our neutrality, and that may be technically true at this time, it will be seen by other countries as a gratuitous signal that Ireland is moving away from its neutrality and towards gradual incorporation into NATO and the WEU in due course."
NATO is a nuclear armed military alliance dominated by the US and Britain. With that in mind, it was interesting to read Eddie Holt's review of John Pilger's programme Timor Conspiracy (Weekend, January 30th). He states: "In 1975 East Timor was invaded by Indonesia and since then, reliable estimates suggest that 200,000 people, one-third of its population, have been murdered in a genocidal bloodbath. Pilger contends - and supplies extensive proof - that Britain, the US and Australia have colluded in arming, supporting and covering up for the Indonesian government."
At least we know in advance the kind of states with whom Mr Ahern wishes to form a military alliance.
In the same paper, in an article on the PfP, Jim Cusack points out the massive increase in military expenditure that PfP means. PANA believes that these millions of pounds should be spent on health, education and those of our people living in poverty, rather than on military equipment for an Irish regiment of NATO. - Yours, etc., Roger Cole,
Chair, Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Springhill Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin.