Madam, - As an Irishman living in the United States, I feel compelled to respond to Patrick Hurley's article in your edition of March 27th.
Mr Hurley, in his angry rambling way, seems to be saying that we Irish should be so grateful for the aid given by the United States in the past, that we owe it to that country, as consideration for past and future favours, to jump on board and wholeheartedly support this war regardless of our principles.
What rubbish. My principles are not for sale, not even for 30 pieces of silver. I condemn this war. It is, in my opinion, illegal. - Yours, etc.,
JOE BOYLE,
San Francisco,
USA.
Madam, - We write on behalf of Doctors Against War to utterly condemn the Irish Government's refuelling of military planes during the war on Iraq for the following reasons.
The World Health Organisation has reported that 500,000 people will "require medical treatment to a greater or lesser degree as a result of direct or indirect injuries", during the present war.
The WHO estimates that up to 100,000 Iraqi civilians could become wounded and another 400,000 suffer disease as a result from the bombing of water and sewage facilities and the disruption of food supplies.
The nutritional status of some 3.03 million people will be dire and they will require therapeutic feeding. About four-fifths of these victims will be children under five. The rest will be pregnant and lactating women.
Some 16 million Iraqis depended on the food supplied free by the Iraqi government. The bombing of Iraq's infrastructure is disrupting these supplies. It is virtually impossible to send in food from outside Iraq. The electricity network has been seriously degraded, leaving millions without proper drinking water. Bombing will therefore quickly provoke cholera and dysentery.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimates at least 900,000 Iraqi refugees. Another 2 million could be displaced inside the country and 3.6 million people will need "emergency shelter".
Medact, the UK affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, estimates that casualties could be five times higher than in the 1991 Gulf war. This new war of the kind prosecuted by the US has already killed hundreds of civilians and unknown numbers of soldiers, on both sides.
Medact estimates that between 2,000 and 50,000 people are now at risk of being killed in Baghdad, and between 1,200 and 30,000 on the southern and northern fronts in Basra, Kirkuk and Mosul. If biological and chemical weapons were used, up to 33,000 more people could die.
As doctors we do not make any distinction on whether the war is authorised by the Security Council or not: a bomb is just as lethal, whoever orders it to drop.
As doctors in Ireland we refuse to stand by and allow the Irish Government to take part in this slaughter by helping to refuel and transport American war planes through Shannon Airport.
We urge the Irish Government to immediately withdraw its military aid to the US, to withdraw its political support for this war, and to join in the worldwide growing majority of citizens who oppose war as a solution to the current Middle East crisis. - Yours, etc.,
Dr PEADAR O'GRADY,
Consultant Psychiatrist,
Midland Health Board;
Dr JULIET BRESSAN,
General Practitioner,
Dublin 1;
Dr DAVID HICKEY,
Consultant Renal
Transplant Surgeon,
Beaumont Hospital;
Senator Mary Henry, MD;
Herberton Avenue,
Dublin 12.
Madam, - In the name of fairness, can we expect to hear reports from journalists "embedded" with the Iraqi Republican Guard? - Yours, etc.,
FRANCIS SWEENEY,
Palo Alto,
California,
USA.
Madam, - "Individuals have international duties which transcend the national obligations of obedience. Therefore \ have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring." (Nuremberg Tribunal, 1945-1946.)
The US and UK have amassed a military force in preparation for a massive assault against Iraq. In the previous aggression against Iraq in 1991, terrible crimes against peace and crimes against humanity were committed by the US and UK armed forces.
The judgement of the Nuremberg Tribunal makes it clear that citizens have the right and duty to seek to prevent the crimes against peace and humanity that are clearly going to be committed against Iraq.
Six individuals are currently facing serious charges relating to the disabling of a US Navy plane at Shannon airport: Mary Kelly, Damian Moran, Ciaran O'Reilly, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon and Deirdre Clancy. Their actions were inspired by the vision of Isaiah 2:4 to "beat swords into ploughshares". In accordance with the principles of the Nuremberg Tribunal, we demand that they are not criminalised for their actions. - Yours, etc.,
FINIAN McGRATH TD,
TONY GREGORY TD,
JOE HIGGINS TD,
NOAM CHOMSKY,
GEORGE MONBIOT,
Senator DAVID NORRIS,
PATRICIA McKENNA MEP,
BRONWEN MAHER,
Green Party Spokesperson
on Womens Affairs;
RICHARD BOYD BARRETT,
Chair, Irish
Anti-War Movement;
SCOTT RITTER,
TARIQ ALI,
JEREMY HARDY,
MICHAEL CHRIST,
President, International
Physicians for the Prevention
of Nuclear War.
Madam, - The late Phil Lynott would be appalled to learn that the Thin Lizzie hit "The Boys are Back in Town" is the song most requested on radio by the British forces in Iraq. For an invading military force to appropriate the symbolism of this song is an abuse of what this wonderful anthem was about. I sincerely hope it does not turn into the 21st-century equivalent of "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" - Yours, etc.,
KEITH NOLAN.
Caldragh,
Carrick-on-Shannon,
Co Leitrim.
Madam, - The most powerful argument offered by the anti-war lobby against the invasion of Iraq was the likelihood of large numbers of civilian casualties. These were likely to be lessened by a rapid capitulation by the Iraqi regime.
However, the bona fides of some of those opposed to war must be questioned as in recent days the realisation that the campaign may be longer than first envisaged has been greeted with a certain degree of schadenfreude. The suspicion is that some people in the anti-war lobby are simply anti-American. - Yours, etc.,
BRENDAN McMAHON,
Naas,
Co Kildare.
Madam, - I dare say I won't be alone in expressing my disgust at the decision to publish the shocking front-page photograph in your edition of March 27th. Not only does the average Irish Times reader possess enough intelligence to picture for him or herself the horrors of this war, but I imagine I am not the only parent attempting to shield my child from the extensive, graphic media coverage. - Yours, etc.,
SHARON COX,
Ballinahinch Terrace,
Ashford,
Co Wicklow.