Readers Blog: Government embarrassed by Irish neutrality
Ireland’s involvement with United Nations peacekeeping should make it suitable for membership of the UN Security Council. (‘UN Security Council bid: Campaign intensifies’, Irish Examiner, July 3).
However, a surprising aspect of our Government’s campaign has been its failure to mention neutrality.
Neutrality was a key factor in our participation in UN peacekeeping for decades and it enhanced our reputation within the international community. But the UNSC campaign optics suggest that our government is embarrassed by Irish neutrality. And well it might be.
While Bono was entertaining 150 UN ambassadors in New York, a US air force Hercules C130 plane was being refuelled at Shannon airport, probably on its way to contribute to wars in the Middle East.
Pragmatically, if we are to have a reasonable chance of success when up against Nato members, Norway and Canada, we must differentiate our application from theirs, and surely Irish neutrality should be a winning point with the large majority of the non-Nato members of the United Nations.
The Canadian air force dropped 250 bombs on Libya in 2011 and the Norwegian air force dropped twice that, and both provided military support for US efforts to overthrow the Syrian government.
The most appropriate commemoration of the 88 Irish who gave their lives for international peace would be a UN Security Council seat application based on genuine Irish neutrality.
