ANTHONY REDMOND,
Madam, - Speaking on Vatican Radio recently, Bishop Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad appealed for an end to the threat of war against his country. He said that war would have the most dreadful, devastating effect on the people of Iraq, especially as the population was already on its knees as a result of more than a decade of terrible sanctions.
The Pope, too, also spoken out against a war. He pointed out that the United Nations Charter itself reminds us that war cannot be decided upon, even when it is a matter of ensuring the common good, except as the very last option and in accordance with very strict conditions.
He asked this question: "What are we to say of the threat of a war which could strike the people of Iraq, the land of the prophets, a people already sorely tried by more than 12 years of embargo?"
The bishops of the Church of England have also spoken out vociferously against this proposed war. The anti-war movement continues to gather momentum around the world and, indeed, is very strong in the United States.
In December, a leaked UN planning report estimated that a war against Iraq could cause as many as 500,000 civilian casualties and nearly a million refugees. What kind of monstrous obscenity is this? How can George Bush and Tony Blair possibly justify such evil? Bishop Warduni questioned whether Iraq's vast crude oil reserves - the second largest in the world after Saudi Arabia - might not be the real reason behind the West's interest in his country.
Isn't it odd that George Bush feels that the problem posed by North Korea's nuclear weapons can be solved by diplomatic means? And might one ask what country has more weapons of mass destruction than the US?
George Bush's warmongering utterances and bellicose behaviour are a real threat to world peace. What he will succeed in creating are more and more terrorists in the Arab world whose hatred of America and the West will know no bounds.
It is true that Osama bin Laden is a huge danger to the security of the world and it is vital that he be dealt with, but I fail to see how Saddam Hussein and Iraq pose an equal threat. Yes, Saddam is clearly an evil and vicious dictator but there are many evil dictators around the world. As an Irish citizen, I object to Shannon Airport being put at the disposal of the US military to enable it to wage a terrible war on the people of Iraq.
Let us pray most fervently that reason will prevail and this cruel and utterly immoral war can be averted, and let us raise our voices and make our views known to those who would declare war in our name. - Yours, etc.,
ANTHONY REDMOND,
North Great George's Street,
Dublin 1. ...
Madam, - One has to wonder at the sheer naïvety of the "peace campers". Don't they see any similarities at all between Saddam Hussein and a certain Herr Hitler who brought the world to the brink of total destruction a little over 60 years ago?
Of course not. In their book it is President Bush who bears the greater similarity. It is America who poses the greater threat. No doubt they would have protested had Shannon been used during the build up to D-Day. They'd probably have given a few Mass-cards to Dev to bring with him when he called on the German Ambassador to offer his condolences on the death of Der Führer.
I am amazed and (dare I say?) amused when I consider the composition of this anti-American - oops - anti-war coalition. Since when has Sinn Féin/IRA been on the side of those who want peace except of course its version of peace? This show of force against Saddam is part of a very justified war on international terrorism, yet we have to listen to these protesters tell us that it is the Americans who are the real terrorists. Funny, isn't it, when we remind ourselves that these protesters include within their ranks Sinn Féin/IRA, PLO sympathisers and God knows who else?
A brief lesson on some of the tactics employed by terrorists mightn't go amiss at this point. It may be a rather quaint term now, but I'd say it would be safe to assume that there are one or two agents provocateurs operating in innocent little Ireland fomenting the kind of shameful protests we are currently witnessing.
No right-thinking person regards war as desirable, but sometimes it is unavoidable. Ireland's shameful neutrality kept this State out of the war against Hitler. We cannot stay out of the war against international terrorism. We cannot choose to be, albeit by proxy, on the side of the terrorists. We cannot allow the terrorists to dupe us any more. It's time for this State to drop its neutrality and face up to reality. We cannot continue taking all we can get while refusing to defend what we enjoy.
It's time for Ireland to grow up. - Yours, etc.,
SEAN GIBBONS,
Tirellan Heights,
Galway.
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Madam, - The juxtaposition of George W. Bush and the Christian cross in Wednesday's edition could not have distilled the current situation more clearly. I wonder what Jesus would say about the looming war if the microphone was in hands. I don't think his words would resemble Mr Bush's belligerent rhetoric.
Bush is not a true Christian in his actions, no matter what he likes to say. - Yours, etc.,
ALAN MORKAN,
Rennes Cedex,
France.