McAleese helps to sanitise a human rights blackspot

ISN’T it great to see that at least one citizen didn’t miss a foreign junket because her passport was out of date?

President Mary McAleese obviously made sure her documents were in order so that she could fit in a visit to yet another human rights blackspot in order that the regime there can somehow sanitise itself in the eyes of the international community by showing that at least one western country approves its human rights abuses.

Turkey does not deserve the stamp of approval that it is given when a president from a relatively well respected country is paraded in front of its TV cameras. Leave it to Ireland ... we manage to send our President to every human rights sinkhole in the world without qualms of conscience.