Madam, - Kevin Myers's Irishman's Diary of July 28th is as thought-provoking as ever, yet his old bête noir of selective memory continues to haunt him. He writes that Jane Fonda, "like many others, especially in this country, has not grasped a central feature of the war in Iraq. The US-led coalition is only present in that country by the invitation and legal authorisation of the democratically elected government there".
I must align myself with Hanoi Jane and say that the US-led coalition is present in Iraq only because it invaded that country looking for non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Now it doesn't look as if even Donald Rumsfeld shares Mr Myers's appetite for the long haul, as suggested by prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari's statement at their joint news conference that the time has arrived to plan a co-ordinated transition from American to Iraqi military control throughout the country.- Yours, etc,
DECLAN BANNON,
Greenane,
Dunshaughlin,
Co Meath.
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Madam, - On January 30th this year, eight million Iraqis - 60 per cent of the electorate - went out to the polling stations and voted, despite Sunni violence and intimidation. Therefore, when I read John F Fallon's statement that "Western-style democracy cannot be imposed on a Muslim society based on a different culture and tradition" (July 26th), I was dumbfounded
People risked their lives and queued for hours to vote and Mr Fallon has the audacity to tell them it was all a worthless gesture. - Yours, etc,
T HOWARD,
Pinner,
Middlesex,
England.