Shinners' lack of respect for Army
It is incredibly disrespectful and shows absolute contempt for our defence forces to describe our peacekeeping troops in such a manner.
I realise that Sinn Fein's regard for the Irish defence forces is coloured by past history.
Still, it is pitiful to think that a mission with a central purpose of peacekeeping being carried out in a highly dangerous area can be described as a military escapade.
Thankfully, the Irish people value the proud tradition of peacekeeping a lot more than Sinn Fein.
It is Ireland's 50th anniversary since we first took part on a UN peacekeeping mission and we have participated on 74 such missions to date.
The EU peacekeeping mission to Chad is primarily there to help address the humanitarian situation, whereby over 300,000 people are located in refugee camps in the eastern part of Chad.
Many of these people have fled from the genocide that is taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan, which has cost over 200,000 lives already.
For Sinn Fein to describe this mission as a military adventure, when there is so much suffering going on in Chad is in very bad taste indeed.
SEAN O CUILL
MACROOM, CO CORK
