War planes come and go — but we’re neutral

FOREIGN MINISTER Brian Cowen, (Irish Examiner letters, Oct 21) points out that use of Shannon by US warplanes is not in contravention of Ireland’s neutrality.

The High Court has also upheld this stance, which is quoted in support, though the same letter also records Mr Justice Kearns as saying that “what constitutes participation ... is essentially a matter for the government and Dáil Éireann to decide, and not the courts.”

I suppose that soon the Government will announce that it has provided a hangar at Shannon for the use of al-Qaeda, in line with our neutrality, and obviously not implying that we would be aiding or abetting that organisation.