One-sided condemnations carry no weight

The outrageous and ill-considered remarks by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and justice minister Michael McDowell that al Qaida units are operating in Ireland will certainly fan the incipient flames of racism here and have already been jumped upon by the rabid right-wing press to justify lining this country up with Britain and America in its war against Iraq and for domination of the oil-rich Middle East.

They are a prelude to and a justification for the introduction of an identity card system here, which is being brought in to make it possible for Britain to operate its own system, especially in the North where nationalists can be expected to refuse to carry British identity cards. Should we really be pulling Britain's chestnuts out of the fire?

These developments come on the back of the London bombings which, with their dreadful toll of dead and injured, have rightly been met with shock, horror and outrage, here in Ireland as much as anywhere else.

But the Taoiseach has ignored the fact that these bombings are no more – though equally no less – shocking, horrific and outrageous than the bombs which Tony Blair and his American allies drop daily on the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan. You can't in all seriousness condemn the one without condemning the other.

Instead Bertie waffled on about the London bombings being "an attack on us all", when it is obvious that these attacks are in revenge for what Britain and the US have done in the Middle East and what they continue to do there.

Tony Blair spoke disingenuously about people trying to destroy British values and way of life: but what are those values from an Iraqi point of view – the values of freedom of expression and national dignity, or the 'values' of domination, exploitation and death.

Does anybody really believe that these bombings would have happened if the British hadn't gone to war against the Iraqi people? The truth is no one gives a damn how the British people live their lives so long as they don't ram their way of exploitation down anybody else's throat.

What we are being offered from our political leaders, here at home as well, is more of the same: "a vigorous investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice" and all the rest of the traditional verbiage, with the real issues ignored. Unfortunately, an intensification of "the war against terror" will not cow the Arab and Islamic resistance: it will only mean more revenge attacks, more death, misery and grief. For remember, Arab women weep just as bitterly over the graves of their murdered loved ones as do the women of Britain.

And what of little Ireland? Have we anything to worry about? Not really, despite Michael McDowell's racist hype; though it's ironic that our biggest protection is the reputation that the IRA established internationally as a force fighting British imperialism, with Gerry Adams the best known Irishman throughout the world.

What threat we do face comes to us courtesy of Shannon airport. Certainly, Ireland is not a major player in this war against the Iraqi people, but we are not innocent either. We have allowed and continue to allow the use of Irish airspace and airports for the transport of soldiers and war material to the American occupiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Worse again, we have allowed the use of our facilities to transport prisoners for torture in third countries – a shaming scandal that has been well documented, but which the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, shrugs off with the claim that the Yanks have told him they're not doing it!

God forbid, but could we really complain if those who have suffered so much through our indirect support for the war in Iraq ignored our protestations of neutrality and hit back at us too?

The real point is that this is not a just war, where it would be right to face any threat; it is a sordid bid to control the diminishing oil reserves of the world, and God help any mere Arab who stand in the way. Ireland should have nothing to do with it, and never should have had from day one. Especially at this moment of grief and pain for the people of Britain, we should raise our voice – belatedly – against war and for peace. We should give solidarity and sympathy to those who have suffered, but we should use all our powers of speech and advocacy to persuade against going up the garden path of more conflict.

Unfortunately, there is no sign that our political establishment has the courage to take such a stance. They prefer to join in the raucous self-delusions of those who started this war but don't seem to know how to end it.

Eoin Ó Murchú is the Eagraí Polaitíochta of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. He is writing here in a personal capacity