I wouldn’t go picking a fight with Vlad, Simon
MR Putin and the Russian People must be quaking in their boots.
Ireland has opened hostilities with the biggest country with, probably, the greatest reserves of wealth in terms of natural resources, and the biggest arsenal of nuclear weapons in the world.
The expulsion of a single diplomat is, of course, only a gesture as we are unlikely to invade by land, sea or air.
The gesture is far more informative towards our good selves than towards 144million or so Russians – who must be really worried.
It asserts, in no uncertain terms, how subservient and fawning the Irish nation has become, prepared to jettison our policy of neutrality to curry favour with the big boys of the EU, Nato and, of course, the USA.
Russia will never be forgiven for stealing the thunder of defeating the Nazis, and has refused to roll over ever since. It’s rather unfortunate, though, that our gesture of hostility coincided with a rather more serious loss of Russian lives due to a fire.
It would be something if our gesture was based on sound evidence, but the only evidence we have appears to come from the source that identified Saddam Hussein’s ‘weapons of mass destruction’, leading to invasion of the Middle East, unimaginable loss of life, and a chaotic conflict that could last for generations.
It is interesting to speculate on what advantage Russia might gain from an attack on the unfortunate Mr Skripal and his daughter, and whether the distraction caused – and rallying of somewhat dubious allies – is a welcome relief from the Brexit disaster overwhelming a beleaguered British Government.
The possible intrigues surpass even John le Carré and Ian Flemming’s wildest imaginings.
Who knows: this event may be the catalyst for a British decision to stay with the new-found warmth of friendship and solidarity found in Europe.
But then it is often said that truth, if we ever get it, is much stranger than fiction.
PADRAIC NEARY, Co. Sligo. ...BELIEVE it or not, Mr Coveney, Ireland is a small, unimportant Atlantic island and Russia is the third most important nation on Planet Earth, with a leader who is determined to restore its former glory. Diplomacy demanded that Ireland supported bans on Russia, but there was no need for a gung ho approach.
A clever foreign minister would have voiced ambivalent gobblegook support, but would not have offended Russia by sending home one diplomat.
Obviously both Mr Coveney and Mr Varadkar hopped on the political bandwagon with a quickly orchestrated expulsion. Russia has denied involvement in the Salisbury incident and, in the absence of clear-cut proof, Ireland needed ‘cute hoor’ diplomacy.
Instead we have Coveney and Varadkar using a world platform to enhance their personal standing with Fine Gael, in particular, and the Irish public.
Pious platitudes concerning neu- trality and the horror of Salisbury are just that. Voicing support, doing nothing, and waiting until concrete evidence came to light should have been easy.
To compound matters, the Government then highlighted problems with expansion plans for the Russian Embassy. On this serious issue our secret service should have been busy orchestrating regular check-ups on the Russian expansion.
If such evidence existed, then expel some Russian agents clearly proven to be probably spies on an issue clearly affecting Ireland. JOHN KELLY, Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
The diesel debate
LET’S be more honest about ‘dirty’ diesel cars. Constant reference is made to how much they pollute the air, but scant regard is paid to the fact this applies to older vehicles.
The latest models, with cleaner electronic engine management systems, produce a minuscule amount compared to older cars with solely mechanical systems, yet all diesel drivers are treated as pariahs.
How many times have you been stuck in traffic behind a bus when it pulls away and belches out clouds of filthy black smoke? I have stood behind the exhaust pipe of my diesel car with the engine on and there is no smell. ANDY CULLEY, Weymouth, Dorset.
Anti-semitism scourge
THE recent outcry by Britain’s Jewish community about the level of anti-Semitism being fostered by the likes of Jeremy Corbyn shows that anti-Semitism is alive and well on a global scale.
I worked as a chef in Tel-Aviv for 10 years as a non-Jew, but after my return to the UK I was alarmed by the anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli sentiments that I encountered on a regular basis.
I tried doing some light-hearted educational events at a Methodist church which included food and examples of Jewish festivals such as Purim, Passover and the Jewish New Year.
However, a prominent Methodist chaplain objected to leaflets advertising the events, as Methodists had phoned decrying the use of the words ‘Israel’ and ‘Jewish’.
This primitive and irrational hatred and hostility towards the Jews belongs to the distant past.
COLIN NEVIN, Bangor, Co. Down.