'An Phoblacht' welcomes readers' letters. Letters in Irish or English should be kept short (no more than 200 words) and typed or handwritten clearly, double-spaced and on one side of the paper only. Name and address should be supplied for verification, but these will not be published if we are so requested.

Cuireann 'An Phoblacht' fáilte roimh litreacha ónár léitheoirí. Scríobh i nGaeilge nó i mBéarla. Is fearr litreacha gearra (200 focal ar a méid) clóscríofa nó lámhscríofa go soiléir ar thaobh amháin den leathanach. Cuir ainm agus seoladh leis ach ní fhoilseoimid iad seo más é do thoil.

 

 

Rumsfeld and McDowell similarities

A Chara

Late last week we witnessed the bleatings of two very desperate men trying to save themselves, their hollow words no longer holding any meaning for ordinary people.

First of all, poor deluded Donald Rumsfeld maintained that maybe the Iraqis had moved weapons of mass destruction before the Americans got there. As he resigns he still clings to the old WMD story. Then we have Michael McDowell blaming the return of the Garda heavy gang during shocking scenes in Mayo, on the outside influences of Sinn Féin activists using "Provo tactics".  

Rumsfeld was once a frequent visitor to Iraq in the heyday of Saddam Hussein and did a nice bit of business with the moustachioed dictator. US firm Halliburton company have won quite a few prestigious contracts in Iraq. This in itself is not a sin but his sin and that of those who helped him, is the deaths of over 500,000 Iraqis that has resulted from US interference in Iraq.

Of course he couldn't do all this on his own. He needed the rest of the neo-cons in the American administration to fall in behind him. He also needed other governments to help  in this great adventure and sure enough our own government offered a nice airport for refuelling the military machines on their way to  the slaughter of the innocents.

Not only did we allow over 300,000 American forces through Shannon Airport but we also secretly signed a little deal  to give top secret information on Irish citizens to the CIA should they come calling.

On the other hand we have Michael McDowell determined to blame everyone else while our Gardaí act like the old RIC protecting an absentee landlord's property at the behest of a government complicit in using a Compulsory Purchase Order for the first time for the benefit of a foreign company.

So we have both men supporting the pillaging of national resources on behalf of large profiteering companies. And bad luck to the poor locals who get in their way.

Sinn Féin fully support the people of Mayo in their opposition to Shell putting a refinery in their backyards (just as Michael doesn't want an incinerator in his own back yard) and we also are determined to get a better deal for our people in the exploitation of our natural resources. We are also vehemently against the use of Shannon Airport in the pillaging of the national resources of Iraq.

Is mise,

Councillor Séamie Morris,

Sinn Féin,

Nenagh,

County Tipperary.

 

 

Boycott Coke campaign

A chara,

First of all I would like to thank Matt Treacy for his mention of the Boycott Coke Campaign's protest at the sponsoring by Coca-Cola of the International Rules. As a GAA supporter I believe my patronage should not be used to create acceptance of the crimes of Coke in Colombia and India.

I would though like to correct Matt on the focus of the protest. It was in fact to highlight the abuses of Coke and the international boycott campaign, not to boycott the match, which some anti-coke activists attended, displaying a boycott Coke banner from one of the stands. For more information on the coke boycott please go to www.lasc.ie

Is mise,

Oisín Gralton Dolan,

Cumann Sheena Campbell,

Sinn Féin,

Dublin City University.

 

 

Images wanted of SF in Laois

A chara,

Laois Sinn Féin is currently compiling our belated Céad Blian book. We are requesting photographs that people may have in relation to 100 years of Sinn Féin in Laois. Any photographs supplied will be returned to their owner.

Photos can be sent to: Caroline Duane, 53 O'Moore Place, Portlaoise, Co. Laois.

Is mise,

Caroline Duane,

Cathaoirleach,

Laois/Offaly Cómhairle Ceanntair,

Sinn Féin.