Madam, - The photograph of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern presenting the President Bush with a bowl of shamrock during the St Patrick's Day ceremony at the White House should bring a sense of disgust and shame to all the people of this nation ( The Irish Times, March 18th).
George Bush is directly responsible for the death of about 4,000 US soldiers and marines in Iraq and close to 500 in Afghanistan. He is also directly responsible for the death of up to 1.2 million Iraqis.
The eventual monetary cost to the American taxpayer could be over $3 trillion - against a nation that had nothing to do with September 11th, 2001. And our Taoiseach visits the US without one word of public condemnation of Bush's slaughter of the innocents.
We are now entering the sixth year of this war with no end in sight. History will record Monday's public event as a day of shame for Mr Ahern and the Irish people. - Yours, etc,
VINCENT J. LAVERY, Findlater Street, Glasthule, Co Dublin.
Madam, - The Taoiseach goes yet again to the White House with his glass bowl of shamrock. Is it not time the Government showed some imagination by presenting the President of the United States with the shamrock in some other type of container?
There are many other materials to make a bowl from. Let's show the US president and the world that we have originality and fine craftspeople in other areas. How about an annual competition for a suitable container? - Yours, etc,
GEORGE STACPOOLE, Adare, Co Limerick.