Madam, - Ms. Carol Stephenson asks me a question (April the 4th) - How many Iraqi women and children, dead at the hands of Saddam Hussein, equals a clear Irish conscience?
Firstly I do not believe that anyone with human feelings can have an untroubled conscience in these terrible times. And the crimes of Saddam Hussein have certainly been terrible.
That is why I spent the last 20 years opposing his cruel and criminal regime.
That is why I tried to prevent the Irish Government supplying his army with beef over a decade ago. (For my troubles I was told that, while my position might be moral, Ireland could not afford it).
That is why I spoke out against Saddam's murderous mistreatment of the Kurds and the Marsh Arabs. That is why three years ago I went to Baghdad and personally confronted Dr Tariq Aziz with the crimes against humanity committed by his regime.
It was some small but fleeting ease to my conscience that on that occasion I also bought and smuggled in several thousand pounds worth of medicine to alleviate the suffering and distress of the children of the Baghdad hospital left in their misery as a result of the sanctions.
That is why I also spoke out during the Iran/Iraq war and about Halabja when Saddam used the gas provided to him by the West, and I was horrified when the US vetoed an United Nations resolution condemning the use of gas by his regime.
Perhaps Ms. Stephenson also protested at these times although I do not recall her doing so.
My original question was prompted by the suggestion from many sources from Bertie Ahern to Kevin Myers that once again whatever the morality of the issue we could not afford to offend the Americans.
Our part in the current blitzkrieg by facilitating the air lift of troops and military materiel through Shannon is small but significant, and it is immoral, illegal and unconstitutional.
I would remind Ms Stephenson that there have been eye-witness reports of some US troops in Iraq wearing helmets bearing the message "Kill 'em all". Perhaps like the rest of us she has read the accounts in the Sunday Times of an American corporal who was quoted directly as saying "The Iraqis are sick and we are the chemotherapy" while another said "I'd like to meet a friggin' Iraqi. I'd kill him,"
I am certainly not happy that these gentlemen may well have passed through Shannon airport with our assistance.
Like many of your readers I have been agonised by the television pictures, albeit heavily censored, showing us distraught Iraqi fathers holding the mutilated corpses of their children in their arms or sitting in despair, bewildered, and howling like animals at the pain of their loss.
A great deal of this is being caused by the use of that most devilish of weapons whose use is certainly against the Geneva Convention - the cluster bomb.
So no, Ms. Stephenson my conscience is not clear. It is very troubled and I do not sleep easy these nights. Perhaps it is more comfortable out in Blackrock. Sleep will certainly be less disturbed there than it is in Baghdad. - Yours, etc.,
Senator DAVID NORRIS,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.