US unlikely to abandon war zones in its own self-interest

IN his letter headlined ‘Shannon stopover critics hide behind US security shelter’ (January 25), Jim Forde responds to the letter (January 18) from John Lannon of Shannonwatch who criticises what he believes is Ireland’s effective involvement in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and the compromise of its neutrality.

Mr Forde criticises Mr Lannon’s “anti-American views” saying, among other things, that Irish involvement does not compromise our neutrality, that the US will completely withdraw from Iraq within a year and that a deadline has been established for its withdrawal from Afghanistan.

I cannot see how Ireland’s neutrality is not under threat if it takes part, even indirectly, in the illegal war against Iraq and supports NATO in the war in Afghanistan.