Madam, - I share with all right-thinking Irishmen and Irishwomen a feeling of utter revulsion at what happened in London on Thursday. Our chequered history in the matter of nationalism and responses to acts of terror imposes upon us a special responsibility to associate fully with the victims of these savage and cruel attacks.
For those correspondents such as Mark Urwin (July 6th), perhaps these attacks bring into focus the narrow viewpoint of his comments regarding our independence. As an independent people, we can and we must seek to associate with those other peoples who espouse the values of freedom throughout our world. As an Irishman, I was extremely proud to see our Naval Service and sail trainer standing with other ships from the nations of the world at last week's naval review. I feel no threat from Britain in that regard - in contrast, apparently, to Mr Urwin.
Perhaps the events in London may prompt a change of heart for him. I believe that in the world we live in today, we are bound to Britain and Britain to Ireland in a bond of mutual freedom and respect for the rule of law. These events highlight the futility of the IRA campaign in London and show the bankruptcy of that and other similar organisations.
We are all Londoners now. - Yours, etc,
PAT O'CONNOR,
Murrintown,
Wexford.
Madam, - The no-warning bomb attacks on London by suspected Islamic fundamentalists are an indication of what could happen here if the Dublin administration continues its current military and political alliance with Britain.
Only last week the LE Eithne took part in the British review commemorating Trafalgar. There is a fear that we are being identified as part of the British war machine. In addition, politicians continue to allow Shannon Airport to be used for American military flights.
In effect we are now seen as aiding the British and the Americans in their war against the people of Iraq.
Already the people of Madrid and Spain have paid a high price for their co-operation with the Americans and the British. Now the ordinary people of London are the innocent victims of this international political alliance that has unleashed such terror and destruction in Europe.
The Irish people must now say loud and clear that all political and military collaboration with Britain and America must cease and we must return to our age-old tradition of neutrality. - Yours, etc,
JOE LYNCH, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick.
Madam, - It is nauseating to hear Mr Ahern's hypocritical bleatings over the barbarism in London, seeing that he supported the greater slaughter of Iraqi civilians by the British and the Americans (whose army he continues to allow to use Shannon Airport) and without which there would not have been this massacre of the innocents. - Yours, etc,
BRENDAN LYNCH, Mid Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7.
A chara, - Could George Bush explain to the rest of us just one more time exactly how his ongoing attacks on the people of the Middle East have "made the world a safer place"? - Is mise,
DAVID CARROLL, Castle Gate, Dublin 2.