Doubts were expressed from the beginning of the war in Afghanistan.
Questions arose immediately on the wisdom of the American
strikes to capture or kill Oseman bin Laden; to punish the
Taliban for harbouring him; to stamp out terrorism there and
elsewhere. The effect to be expected and which caused much
concern was the killing of Afghans in a frightful country
where the sufferings of wars and vagaries of nature has made
it the place of torment, starvation, disease and death. And
the horrific Taliban whose attitudes to people, and females
in particular, are a denial of basic human rights. There is
the need to utterly change and free that country from its
oppressors. The problem is how to do that quickly and economically
in the losses in human lives; to feed the hungry, provide
shelter and safety for the millions of displaced persons;
to put in place a government that will govern differently
and justly and for all the people. Other questions are being
asked by people here. Why was this policy of go in and get
the terrorists not pursued in Ireland? Why has it taken 30
years to bring terrorism, not to defeat but to a voluntary
decommissioning of some of its arms? The attitudes are so
different that answers are given to the questions which leave
us hearing arguments for one or other policy and we are not
happy with them. Always there are those who argue that to
face up to terrorism, it is necessary to search out the reason
for it. In Afghanistan and Ireland the causes are apparent
- the one, hatred of the Americans and the West and all they
stand for; the other, a hatred of Britain for reasons stated
for centuries. There are these similarities and many differences
which require no elucidation. We know more about terrorism
than most people in the Western democracies and recognise
not only its causes but its awful consequences. We have seen
a lengthy process reach a hoped for stage in the peace search
having deplored its many concessions and accommodations to
terrrorists. We are aware that if Sinn Fein/I.R.A. is preferring
politics and abandoning terrorism, terrorism remains. The
rioting, punishment beatings and killings continue. The terrorism
of republicans and loyalists has produced a continuing violence
which is without politics but is a criminality of drug dealing,
intimidation, extortation and the persecution of people in
terrorist-controlled areas. Until much more is done to stamp
out this terrorism and people can feel safe to go about their
business we are living in a society unworthy of the good citizen.
There has to be the political will to stamp out terrorism
and the commitment of people to the making of a peaceful and
prosperous country in which every good citizen can live his
life in peace.
|
