August 7, 2016
Letters Editor
NEW YORK TIMES
620 8th Avenue
New York, New York 10018
Dear Editor:
Mr. Castle’s “BREXIT Complications…” (8/7) wonderfully captures some simple truths of the potential impact of the UK’s exit from the EU.
Castle claims the fear of BREXIT will “drive a wedge between” the countries. Britain’s policy in Ireland is unchanged since General Oliver Cromwell and his son Henry enforced the colonial settlement of Ireland in the 1652-1660 period. BREXIT will simply provide the latest cover for the continuing work of MI-5 in cultivating sectarian tension.
Businessman MacGuinness spoke of BREXIT in terms of adaptation, opportunity and a renewed confidence in the “Irish Europeanization.” But Ireland’s Foreign Minister Charles Flanagan sought only “to mitigate these losses and minimize the damages.” You can sense the resignation and determination to be downtrodden.
Former EU President Patrick Cox claimed that 40 years of EU work with Britain has “radically changed the quality of the dialogue between Irish and British leaders” Even after 40 years of ‘dialogue’, the British government refuses to disclose the role of the British Army and MI-5 in the 1974 no-warning bombing of Dublin and Monaghan Towns – an undeclared act of war killing 34 and injuring and maiming 300.
Mr. Cox claims that UK and Ireland EU work fostered “mutual respect and understanding [and] made the Northern Ireland peace process possible.” Former Minister for Justice Michael Gove, who authored the 2000 Conservative policy document The Price of Peace , underscores how little respect the current British government has for the Irish peace process. It was in fact President Clinton’s interest and initiative—fought all the way by the Conservative government of PM John Major—that has given six counties of Ireland a measure of peace if not justice. Perhaps another President Clinton will finish the job and reunify Ireland.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Cummings
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