Suicide bombers won’t listen to reason

According to the Taoiseach there is no evidence of a terrorist attack or anything “untoward” being planned in Ireland. His assessment must correspond to the analysis of the general management of Le Bataclan, had a similar question been posed to them in Paris a week ago.

Meanwhile, President Higgins beseeches humanity to condemn hatred and terrorist violence and to expose the sacred texts and belief systems that terrorists’ evoke with the proviso that our response to their violence should be “thoughtful and careful”, as if suicide bombers are amenable to rationale and compassion.

Ireland maintains a diplomatic presence at our embassy in Riyadh with a staff of two diplomats. But the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Dublin has 33 accredited diplomats sanctioned by Áras an Uachtaráin and 16 of these are ‘cultural attachés’. There is not a single Saudi diplomat in the country with an identifiable security brief.