Seanad Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Sep 2001

Vol. 168 No. 1

Atrocities in the United States of America: Statements.

Mr. Cassidy

As Leader of Seanad Éireann I rise to speak at this very sad time in the history of the world. It is important that Seanad Éireann expresses its sorrow and outrage at the atrocities that have been committed in the United States of America and the blows that were struck against democracy by the taking of the lives of so many innocent people. These unspeakable acts have claimed thousands of lives, with five thousand people currently dead or missing. Many thousands more have been wounded physically and emotionally in the devastation and terrible pain of losing a loved one. Our sympathies and condolences go out to the victims of these outrages and their families.

We know that a number of Irish people are among those who died. Our sympathies and condolences go to the family of Ruth Clifford McCourt and her daughter Juliana, who were the first Irish fatalities to be identified. Regrettably there will be more. As the Taoiseach said in Dáil Éireann earlier today, the death toll of Irish people and of Irish Americans is proof, were it needed, of the close links between our two countries.

I know that we all shared the same sense of shock and disbelief when we heard of the terrible and horrifying events of Tuesday last, 11 September. We and millions of people around the world watched and re-watched television pictures of the appalling acts of terrorism which struck Washington, Manhattan and Pittsburgh. Having lived through a number of truly universal horrors in the 20th century, many thought there was nothing that could really surprise us anymore. Last week we were proved wrong. Who would have thought that any human being could be so evil as to inflict such pain, suffering and death on countless thousands of innocent people? The horror and scale of the atrocity will be etched in our memories forever.

As we watched and heard the dreadful scenes unfold on our televisions and radios, our hearts and prayers were with the victims and their families and all Americans. Sadly, we know some of our own citizens also lost their lives in the terrorist attack on New York and the Pentagon, with many missing, presumed dead. The list of firemen, police and other emergency personnel included scores of Irish names. As yet we are unsure of the final death toll.

One cannot help but be appalled by the sheer horror of this atrocity which was shown in the pitiful spectacle of people plunging to their deaths from the blazing towers of the World Trade Centre or by messages sent by victims in phone calls to their loved ones minutes before their deaths. We were all affected by the screams of those who witnessed the towers crumble, knowing that their loved ones were inside; by the picture of Father Mychal Judge, pastor to the fire fighters, who died while giving the Last Rites to one of the victims, or the rescue workers being crushed as the buildings came toppling down; of the thought of the hundreds of little children who have been left without a parent.

From the moment the first plane hit the World Trade Centre, the world changed forever. The events that followed have shocked and stunned the world. It has often been said that 26 years of war in Northern Ireland left no family untouched. That now seems to be the case in New York, and in Manhattan in particular, except that the death toll was amassed in 90 horrific minutes while family, friends and the world looked on helplessly. That is all it took for the planes to hit the World Trade Centre with such devastating consequences. Images of doomed individuals waving from the towers in the vain hope of rescue made ordinary people like us feel powerless and sickened in the face of such an insane act. That any individual can be so evil is unthinkable, yet the unthinkable happened.

When I heard of the first plane crash I thought it was a terrible accident. However, when I watched United Airlines flight 175 crash into the second tower I knew it was a deliberate act of terrorism and also an act of mass murder. These savage acts of terrorism and murder were an assault on democracy and the basic fabric of our civilisation. For people in Ireland, it was also an attack on many of our family and friends who have made the United States of America their home. Many thousands of Irish people visit the United States each year for holidays, to study or to work during their summer holidays. Statistics show that 44 million Americans claim to be of Irish descent. While we have many economic and political links with the United States, it is the intimate human ties that underpin the special and unique relationship that exists between Irish and American people.

In this time of great sorrow and loss we in Ireland can identify with the grief of the American people. During the past 30 years we have also witnessed many tragic events that have brought terrible suffering to so many people in our land. We know at first hand the dreadful pain and suffering that terrorism inflicts and the immeasurable fear it produces. We have also seen many lives cut short by numerous senseless barbaric and ruthless acts. Through those dark days, America was always a friend and supporter. With American support and involvement we have successfully changed the political landscape in Ireland.

Former President Bill Clinton visited this country and Northern Ireland on three occasions in an endeavour to create the climate for peace and sent us Senator George Mitchell whose hard work helped bring about the signing of the Good Friday Agreement by the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern. This brought us new hope and a new vision for the future. We must now seek to offer comfort and support to our loyal and true friends who have also looked terrorism in the face and suffered. Their grief is our grief.

Looking at the rubble in the aftermath of last Tuesday's horrendous atrocity, I was reminded of the scenes witnessed at Omagh where 29 people were killed and many others physically disabled by the atrocity that occurred there. In New York last week, we saw again the rubble and dust, the twisted metal, the despair, the overwhelming sense of helplessness and, most of all, the senseless loss of life. We watched the impact on families who, one moment, were full of the joy of life and who, in the next, were stunned by the cruel loss of a loved one or were struggling with fear for a family member missing or trapped under the masses of rubble.

There are many social and political injustices in the world today but there can be no justification for last week's act. There is no justification whatever for the carnage and wanton loss of life we witnessed.

Mr. Manning

It is now just a week, almost to the hour, since the horrendous actions which inflicted such death and devastation and which horrified the world. The atrocity has absorbed our thoughts since it took place. Millions of words have been written in the last week, but none begins to describe the sheer awfulness and evil of what happened and it is probable that none ever will. All we can do is send simple and clear messages. The first of these is a message of sympathy, which is too weak a word. We need to express to the two cities and to the United States as a whole our love, sorrow and sharing of grief.

Ever since the attack, the people of Ireland have shown grief on a scale never seen here. Many of us signed the book of condolences at the embassy of the United States, where at first hand the feelings of the public could be seen. Flowers, children's poems, toys and candles are symbols of our feelings, but wrenching sobs and flowing tears demonstrate the reality of this country's grief. People travelled from throughout Ireland to sign the book of condolences. I met a fireman who had travelled over 100 miles to express his solidarity. Those of us who saw and heard the band of the Dublin fire brigade will never forget the emotion of the moment. Many other things stand out from the last week, such as the eloquent words of our President and the solidarity of our people. Most of all, there was a sense that this happened in a place most of us know and love and that it affected people we regard as friends, neighbours and family.

A great sense of anger accompanies our sympathy, as this should never have happened and cannot be justified by weasel words or casuistry. There are no extenuating circumstances for those responsible and there cannot be an excuse or a defence of their vile deeds. While explanations are possible, this was an event so intrinsically evil that no defence of it can be made. Those responsible must be brought to justice, not mob law or lynch law. While there must be no hiding place or sanctuary for the perpetrators, neither must there be needless or pointless retaliation which leaves other innocent people dead or maimed. Superhuman wisdom, wise counsel and restraint will be needed if this is to be done. It is hard to ask those who have suffered so much to demonstrate such qualities, but we must ask. We feel angry in this new world, but we also feel apprehensive. Many of us will have read Senator Gary Hart's opinion that the events of last Tuesday may be merely a beginning and that we are now vulnerable to terror in a way we never thought possible. It is a frightening prospect, but one that we ignore at our peril.

Who could have envisaged the events of last week? It is a strange fact that certain people predicted that this could happen but, for the most part, they were ignored. More than before, we must understand that we depend on one another and that we are our neighbours' keepers. Security co-operation is an essential element in a world of fragile democracies, where terrorism knows no boundary. Democracy must always be capable of defending itself and, in today's world, such defence is only possible through genuine co- operation. Perhaps those who relentlessly oppose international co-operation in security matters will think again.

We must say bluntly that the attacks in the United States would not have been possible without the existence of an international community of terrorism. The IRA was a member of that community for many years and we have a right to know if that is still the case, just as we have a right to say that there can be no ambiguity from Sinn Féin from now on. There is only one democratic way.

While speaking of democracy and tolerance, let us ensure that no act of bigotry or racism besmirches our dealings with the Muslim community who live in our midst and whose presence we welcome and value. Let us tell the Muslim community loudly and clearly that we welcome and value them in Ireland. In conclusion, let us pay tribute to the heroes of the past week, such as firemen, police, medics and volunteers. Let us salute the hundreds of acts of heroism and let us acknowledge the political leadership shown by many. In particular, I wish to salute the heroism of the mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, who, under impossible conditions, showed true political leadership.

The big issues are for another day. Today, this House speaks with one voice in sympathy and support for a people and a country we regard as family.

Mr. O'Toole

I wish to share time with Senator Henry.

An Cathaoirleach

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Mr. O'Toole

Previous speakers have eloquently articulated our sympathy and support for the people of New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. The depth of the evil witnessed last week cannot in any way be justified, excused, explained or understood. It represented an attack on democracy and an undermining of democratic structures. It is important that those of us in political life look to the future, display leadership and avoid exhibiting the evil we deplore in others.

We must remember that there are up to four million starving people in Afghanistan, that women in Afghanistan are not allowed to dress as they please or go out to work and that girls are not allowed to receive an education. Although we will extend our support and understanding to the US, we must make it clear that we do not wish to see a new set of victims in Afghanistan. We know how we all felt after Omagh. Senator Manning referred to our expressions of anger in this House at the time.

The 11th of September is a bad day for democracy. It is a date on which democracy has traditionally been attacked and thousands of people have been killed. On 11 September 1973, thousands of citizens, including the Chilean President, were bombed and killed in Chile. The presidential palace was destroyed and the oldest and most stable democracy in South America, founded in the 1820s, came to an end. Although I do not wish to take from our support for the American people, that destruction and death were supported by American guns and resources. Last week's atrocities, supported and resourced by Osama bin Laden, were disgraceful and utterly inexcusable. I am not a pacifist. Whatever action is required to tackle this type of crime must be taken.

The international community must act responsibly in displaying concerted democratic action to ensure that Osama bin Laden – I have no doubt that he is responsible for these atrocities – is brought to justice and feels the full rigours of the law. He must become a monument to evil in our time and we must ensure he is dealt with in the same way as Rudolf Hess, Radovan Karadzic and those who stood trial at Nuremburg and The Hague. His crimes must be outlined to the world and if anyone suggests his release from prison when he is an old man, those outrageous scenes we witnessed last week must be shown again as a reminder of his evil.

Let us pledge our solid support for the line adopted by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs in supporting the UN and democratic international action. That is the way forward. We must support and stand four square with our colleagues in America. However, we must also remind them that they refused, less than two months ago, to sign up to the International Criminal Court which could bring war criminals to justice. We commend the heroism of American public servants over the past week; it will serve as a benchmark for all of us. This has been a terrible week for public representatives and ordinary people in America and we extend to them our deepest sympathy.

Dr. Henry

I thank Senator O'Toole for sharing his time. I, too, extend my condolences to the American people on this appalling act perpetrated more against humanity than democracy. All of us have strong cultural and social links with America. This is the reason it is so important we now speak with America as friends, as so many other people have done, concerned in our rage that one act of inhumanity may lead to others. I was very impressed with the Clifford family who, having just lost a niece, said it would not bring back their Juliana if one Afghan child was to die. It is extraordinarily important that we make sure this kind of sentiment is expressed to the American people. Revenge and retaliation will do little good if all they achieve is to bring down more dreadful acts on all our heads.

It is important, too, that we, in this country, stress our great respect for those Muslim people who live here, many of whom have made known their wish to be associated with the condemnation of the acts which took place in the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. Many Muslims work in the medical system in New York and in the Irish medical services. We should remember how much we rely on them.

We take great pride in the Irish American community in New York. We all know people who are missing, so we will know people who have been killed.

I support Senator O'Toole's call to ask America to reconsider actions such as removing itself from the negotiations on an international criminal court. It is impossible for the rest of the world to continue in such areas without the moral authority of America. Another area in which I have taken a particular interest has been the convention on biological weapons and toxins. Ireland has played a very important part in having a verification protocol brought forward in the ad hoc committee. Unfortunately, the Americans withdrew from the committee during the summer, stating it was not in their interests.

I have heard both President Bush and Prime Minister Blair say terrorists can easily get hold of biological weapons and I gather our Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Brian Cowen, said the same on "Questions and Answers" last night. I urge them to reconsider their attitude. It is not in anyone's interest to have biological weapons. They are far too easily stolen and could get into the hands of terrorist groups, which has happened in Japan, Iraq and other places. There is no reason to doubt Minister Cowen's speculation that these people could easily have had anthrax with them. Let us use our new position on the Security Council, of which we are so proud, to encourage the Americans to participate in all the UN conventions because it would be meaningless for some of these major reforms to take place without them.

Mr. Costello

On behalf of the Labour group in the Seanad I express my deepest sympathy to the families of all those who lost loved ones in the appalling atrocities carried out in the United States just seven days ago. The long lines of people queuing for hours to sign the book of condolences at the United States Embassy in Ballsbridge was a measure of the anguish felt by Irish people and a demonstration of the closeness of the relationship between the people of Ireland and the people of the United States.

We have had our share of terrorism in this country. One remembers in particular Omagh, Enniskillen, the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in 1974 and Greysteel, each of which shocked to the very core. Nothing prepared us, however, for what happened last week as few people could have believed there were those so evil as to deliberately fly planes heavily laden with aviation fuel directly into crowded buildings, which was exactly the same as firing a missile into crowded office blocks full of working men and women. As we speak we still do not know how many people have died. Several hundred people have been confirmed dead. The toll of those missing continues to rise and now approaches 5,500. The dead and missing include citizens of 62 states so far, almost one third of the member states of the United Nations. Those who carefully chose this target and carried out this diabolical act knew well that they were targeting buildings which contained workers from a wide range of countries. This was not just an attack on the American people, it was an attack on the entire international community.

I extend particular sympathy to the families of the Irish victims. All families have suffered dreadfully from these deaths, but the trauma of many families has been added to by the fact that so much of this disaster was seen live on television, scenes have been repeated almost endlessly since then. This was added to in the case of Irish families by the suspension of travel in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, which meant they were unable to travel to the United States. The trauma of all families will be greatly added to by the sad realisation that many bodies may never be recovered.

I want to place on record our appreciation of the prompt and effective action of the Department of Foreign Affairs, who provided assistance for families in tracing relatives and who were able to provide good news for so many families. The families for whom the news was bad will need ongoing support and assistance and I am confident the Government will ensure that all available support and assistance will be provided.

We should remember also the heroic families of the New York police force and fire service who have suffered such a shocking toll. Of all the institutions in the United States there are few which have a higher representation of Irish or Irish American personnel than the New York fire service. We take for granted that members of the fire service, here in Ireland as well as in the United States and elsewhere, put their lives at risk day in, day out to keep the rest of us safe. It is in the best heroic traditions of these services that when people were fleeing the twin towers members of the fire service were going into the buildings in an attempt to rescue others.

Tuesday, 11 September 2001 will forever remain etched in our collective consciousness. It will be seen, in time, as the day on which the world changed. It was the day on which innocence died.

Few people could have believed that any terrorist organisation would have had the resources or technical capacity to organise a diabolical operation like this. We have seen what these organisations are capable of. We must now fear what they are prepared to do in the future, if they are not brought to justice and if their organisations are not dismantled.

While so many are still missing and while the rescue efforts continue unabated, our primary thoughts and concerns must remain with the victims and their families. However, as political representatives, we also must look at the economic and political consequences of what happened last week. There are clearly potentially serious consequences for the Irish economy. We have already begun to feel the impact of the downturn in the United States economy in terms of the number of announcements of closures and job losses over the past year. The consensus seems to be that last week's events will put the United States economy further into decline and there is no doubt that we will suffer accordingly. While economic problems or job losses pale into relative insignificance when compared with the human suffering and loss of life involved, we must try to minimise the economic fall-out of last Tuesday's events.

The greatest challenge facing the international community is to react to these attacks and to determine what steps are required to ensure that similar mass murder can never take place again. The cry for revenge from within the United States is understandable – people would not be human if they did not cry out for vengeance against those responsible – but we must urge caution. We must urge that nothing should be done which would worsen the situation and lead to further loss of innocent life. I do not want to see farm boys from Iowa or illiterate peasant boys from Kandahar losing their lives in the ravines of Afghanistan.

I fear that decisions taken now in an understandable atmosphere of anger amid calls for vengeance and retribution will lead only to further loss of innocent life. Those who organised and directed these attacks knew that they would certainly lead to calls for massive military retaliation. They want massive retaliation. They want to see the world in conflict. They did not care how many died in the World Trade Centre and they do not care how many people would die in the retaliatory attacks against the countries in which they have taken refuge. Conflict is the oxygen on which they thrive. Cut off the oxygen supply, cut off the conflict, and they wither and die.

Difficult as it may be, we must urge caution and restraint, but there is also an obligation on all states, including Ireland, to do all in their power to ensure the defeat of the organisations responsible for these outrages and bring them to justice. As Deputy Quinn said earlier in the Dáil, we must be tough on terrorism and tough on the causes of terrorism. We must not look only at the symptoms of terrorism, but at the underlying causes. No cause or no grievance can justify mass murder, but we have to examine what it is that drives people to hate so much, what drives them to inflict such pain on others and what drives them to take their own lives. Hunger, deprivation and despair are the conditions in which terrorism thrives. If we are serious about ending terrorism, we need to tackle seriously poverty and famine, which claim many more lives each year than international terrorism.

It is also clear that the unresolved conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing plight of the Palestinian people is the pivot around which most resentment in the Islamic world revolves. An intensified effort to solve the political problems of the Middle East and to ease the plight of the Palestinian people would be a major contribution towards ensuring that we never again see such inhumanity and cruelty as we witnessed last Tuesday.

Finally, we must acknowledge that the overwhelming majority of Islamic people have been as shocked and horrified as everyone else by these events. I very much welcome the strong condemnation from the Islamic community in Ireland. We should all remember the way in which members of the Irish community were victimised in Britain as a result of the activities of a violent minority during recent decades. We must ensure that members of the Islamic community in Ireland are not subjected to abuse or attack and we should demonstrate our solidarity with them at this difficult time.

Mr. Gibbons

It is with great difficulty that I stand up to speak about the appalling atrocities that we witnessed last week. I find it very difficult to put words together to describe my feelings and the feelings of all people in this country and right around the world regarding what happened. Our sympathies must be extended to the families and friends of all the victims of this appalling outrage in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. When one thinks of the numbers of families who have lost loved ones – fathers, mothers, children – one must ask why. There does not appear to be any rational reason for it.

As the other speakers have already said, we have in this country seen many atrocities, particularly in Northern Ireland over the past 25 years. They was Greysteel, the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, Enniskillen and Omagh – the list goes on. Innocent people – fathers, mothers and children – have been scarred for ever. We, as a people, have been scarred for ever because of it.

The fact that nobody at this stage has claimed responsibility for these appalling acts is very telling. The finger certainly seems to be pointing in the direction of Osama bin Laden and his followers. To think that anybody would get into an airplane and deliberately fly it into a building with passengers on board to kill others is beyond belief, yet we all saw it on our television screens. It must awaken us to the real dangers of terrorism in any part of the world. We have to combat this danger.

People should have the right to defend themselves and must defend themselves in whatever way they can. It is particulary important that the democratic world now unites fully and brings to justice the perpetrators of this crime. As Senators O'Toole and Manning said, these people need to be brought to justice like others in the past, and justice is the operative word. We do not want a situation whereby revenge takes place at a cost. My great fear about revenge is that it will only start a ball rolling. We do not want to see other innocent people anywhere in the world suffer from this type of appalling deed.

The actions of the American administration to date have been very controlled. Understandably there is huge rage there and the immediate gut reaction is to fight back, but they have been very restrained and are working to find out who caused these atrocities. Obviously the democratic world led by the United States, with the support of the European Union and other democracies, wants to try to rid the world of this type of evil. The choice is simple. We either go for democracy or for violent Islamic fundamentalists. None of us is in any doubt which route to follow.

The actions of the Irish Government to date have been exemplary. Everyone has appreciated how eloquently our President has spoken over the past week and the real leadership she has shown. The fact that this country is due to take over the chair of the UN Security Council in the immediate future puts us in a very important position. While supporting America in its actions in the future, we must ensure that whatever action is taken – and I do not know what the correct action is – does not lead to a situation where more innocent people will die for nothing.

Mr. Lanigan

Everybody in the world has expressed their opinions on what happened in the United States last week. A son of mine when 16 years of age wrote an article for a European competition, with the headline "A crime against humanity". At that stage the crime against humanity was the crime against the people in South Africa. What happened the people in South Africa was mirrored to a large degree by what happened in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania last week.

We must be very careful in how we deal with what has happened. The television pictures were instantaneous. That was deliberate. There was a deliberation in the way the picture was formed. It was as if an editor or director was organising that one plane would fly in and then another when everyone was watching. It was definitely orchestrated.

Shock initially, horror, revulsion, tears, sympathy, every emotion a human could experience was felt by everyone all over the world within a 20 minute period and even after that period no one could nearly believe what had happened. It was horrific and something nobody ever dreamt could happen, but it was inevitable something like this would happen.

As has been said, there is a need to fight against terrorism throughout the world. That is an absolute. Terrorism in the world is not confined to the Muslims. It is not confined to the Middle East. It is not confined to the Far East. We have had it at home. We had a Member of the Seanad whose daughter was killed in Enniskillen. We had the trauma of Omagh. We had the trauma – and the potential for as big an atrocity – in London when Canary Wharf was bombed. We had it close to home and there are people in this country who still agree with the bombing of Omagh, with the bombing of Enniskillen and with what happened in Canary Wharf. We must not forget that there is terrorism here in Ireland, just as there is elsewhere in the world, and we must be very careful that we are not sucked into support, or incipient support, for these people.

We must fight against terrorism, but we must also be involved in the effort to find out why this terrorism occurs. We must realise that we, in this country and in the western world, have a standard of living that is better than that of 50% of the people of this world. We must remember that and we must fight against the causes of poverty and the causes of corruption. We can talk about the corrupt nature of the leaders in African countries, but who corrupts them? The western world corrupts them by giving them money for their oil and then selling arms to them. We must be very careful.

The United States Ambassador was at our meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee just before this sitting and, in a very short and succinct statement, he asked us to bear with him and the people of the United States. I can only say: God bless America and God bless peace-loving people all over the world.

Mr. Cosgrave

With your permission, a Chathaoirligh, I wish to share my time with Senator Ridge. I join my colleagues in extending our deeply felt sympathy on the deaths of those who lost their lives so quickly and so tragically last Tuesday and to the families, relatives and friends left behind. This terrible atrocity has left all decent people shocked and horrified. New York has been a home for very many Irish people. To Mayor Giuliani and the other leaders there, to the firemen, policemen and medical staff who have performed so heroically over the last week in very difficult circumstances, I extend the good wishes of this House that this dreadful atrocity can be put behind them and, hopefully, New York can continue to be the great city it has been.

It is important that those responsible be brought to justice. In this regard, we wish President Bush and the United States administration well, in the hope that the decisions reached will achieve a just solution, not one based on a knee-jerk reaction.

At a time like this, we are all too forcefully reminded of the terror that has been perpetrated in our name here at home and across the water. Those responsible, who continue to carry out acts of terror and acts of punishment, should be confronted and challenged as to their position, which cannot be ambivalent.

In the days ahead, Ireland will take over its role in chairing the Security Council. I am sure the Members of this House extend good wishes to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, and his Department officials at this particularly difficult time.

I extend to the newly arrived Ambassador Egan and to the American people our heartfelt sympathy at this time of such great tragedy for them.

Mrs. Ridge

At the beginning of the last century, we had the war to end all wars – the First World War. Then we had the Second World War, followed by the Korean war. Everywhere along that road, there was a despot, a war-monger. In this instance, I regret to say, it appears to be Osama bin Laden. What is left in all those situations is a trail of broken hearts, broken bodies, broken minds and possibly a broken world which will never be restored to what it was. All I wish for President Bush and the American people is that he will have the wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job for what must be the most horrendous task that anyone could face, to know when to go and to know where to go. I praise all those who proved that there are supermen and women among us in New York and Washington and wish everybody concerned with the search for bin Laden light and peace. Despots cannot be allowed to stand.

Afghanistan is a country where a child dies every five minutes as it is and I would hate to see more trouble brought to that country, but it is easy to talk. To make the decision is going to be almost impossible. I wish America well. Though I am not an American I would have been proud to be one last week when I saw the response of the people. I agree with the leader of my party with regard to the fellow travellers among us. I appreciate that, but it is about time they dug up the Semtex and got on with a little bit of democracy.

Dr. M. Hayes

I wish to associate myself with the expressions of sympathy so eloquently expressed by other Senators, particularly by Senators Manning and Lanigan.

It just might be that the perspective of somebody living in Northern Ireland for the last 30 years may be helpful. I do not think it is a time to lecture the Americans as to what they might do. It is a time to weep with them, to hold on to them and to express, as Senator Manning says, our love, affection and compassion. What we found in the North over all those years was a real difficulty in dealing with sorrow, with great grief and with people who see innocent young lives cut off in their prime caught up in somebody else's war. We saw that we all have our zealots, we all have our fanatics. I have often felt – with my neighbours – as a Northern Ireland Catholic and Nationalist a deep sense of shame at the things that were done allegedly in my name and the attempts one had to make not to feel guilt by association, not to feel the need to apologise.

That brings me to the plight of the ordinary Muslim, which again has been adverted to. I was very moved by the service in the Pro-Cathedral last week but it was a pity that somebody did not have the sensitivity to include a Muslim clergy man and a rabbi. The symbolism of that would have been enormous. It would have sent a signal of reassurance, as fellow Senators have tried to do today, to the Muslim community in this country who are valued fellow citizens. We think of Muslims generally. The God of the Koran is Allah the merciful, the compassionate, and one of the things we have learned in the North is the danger of sowing dragons' teeth, of the danger of policies and practices like shoot to kill.

The great problem for democracies is how to defend democracy, as we all must, from these threats without unduly sacrificing democratic values. It is a problem we are all facing. The best thing we can do – and we are in a position to do it with the Irish presidency of the Security Council coming up – is help America to grieve and help it in its legitimate search for justice. Justice means finding the guilty, identifying them and bringing them to account. I hope that is how the matter will go forward. There is a real danger of sowing dragons' teeth if it is done otherwise.

This is not the time to do so, but we must ask why. We must look, with other nations in the developed world, on the broad questions of the distribution of wealth throughout the world and the injustices that are apparent there.

I was reminded of many occasions in the North when the heroes were the protective services, the police, firemen, ambulance men, medics and paramedics. I wish us to be associated with a tribute to those who died in carrying out a humanitarian and public service. I pay tribute to the Department of Foreign Affairs for the speed with which its officials reacted and their realisation of the need for information among people who were worried about their children and their friends. I pay particular tribute to the work of the Ambassador and his staff in the United States. I join other Senators in saying God bless and help America.

Mr. Quinn

May I give one minute of my four to Senator Ryan? When our daughter Zoë phoned us from Manhattan at two o'clock last Tuesday to say, "Mum, we're all right", we, like so many Irish families were emotionally caught up from the very beginning.

Emotions may dull over time but attitudes should change forever. I will speak about the change we should focus on and what we should do in Ireland after this horrific experience. We should fix our minds on getting our house in order rather than indulge in playing hurler on the ditch. What happened last Tuesday in a single act was not different on a moral dimension from any of the thousands of individual acts that have taken place on this island over the last generation and which have been referred to today. Any act of terrorism, whether it kills or injures a single person or many thousands, is wrong. Terrorism is always wrong.

The sincerity of our response to last week's events can be judged by what we do in the future about terrorism in this country, not in how we support any action the United States may take. If we believe what we saw last week was an attack on civilisation itself, then we must also believe that any terrorist act makes that same threat, even if it happens on our own doorstep.

Terrorism is always wrong. Is that really our attitude in Ireland? Is that the attitude which has governed how we have reacted and coped with the events of the past 30 years in this country? Have we, for whatever reason and by acts of omission and commission, allowed an atmosphere of tolerance towards terrorism to build up? Has this toleration encouraged terrorism to grow and to extend its power over what we do and to extend its reach deep within the political process? There are many in the Unionist community who believe the Republic is a safe haven, in exactly the same way as Afghanistan is for Osama bin Laden and his organisation. Can we put our hands on our hearts and sincerely declare that there is no grain of truth in that belief? There are many, in the context of decommissioning IRA arms, who ask how such caches of arms can go without being discovered in a country as small as this.

The events of the past week have brought home to me the realisation that we have been sending the wrong signal to the terrorists in our midst. We have allowed them to misinterpret our hatred of terrorism by the way we have offered them methods to withdraw from it. We have been so anxious to persuade them to give up terrorism for politics that we allowed them believe they can have both. From now on we should leave them in absolutely no doubt whatsoever on this issue. We should now make it clear beyond all possible doubt that politics and terrorism do not mix. They must choose, but more importantly we must choose between right and wrong.

Mr. Ryan

I thank Senator Quinn. I want to add my voice to the record. I repeat what Senator Quinn said. What was done in the United States last Tuesday was wrong. It will always be wrong. No context, no injustice, nothing could make it right. It was wrong. I told my friends in the ANC in the 1980s that planting car bombs was wrong. I told people in Northern Ireland that nothing there could ever make what they did right. It was wrong. What happened last week was wrong.

There are many other issues we must talk about. The only other one I wish to comment on is that, as Senator Hayes stated, we should do what we would do with a grieving friend. We should hold them, we should console them, we should love them, care about them and look in their hearts and say, "Do not in your grief do anything now that you would regret doing later." Because it was wrong, we must remember that what it did assault was what we stand for, not because we stand for it but because what was done assaulted it. It is our duty to care, to say it is wrong and to stand by standards, which in the short term may appear weak, but in the long term are the real bedrock of strength of our democracy.

Mr. Finneran

I join with the other speakers in expressing my sympathy with the American people and their president. I also join the others in condemning this outrage against not just them but the Western world. We would be foolish to think that this is a once off. We must prepare ourselves. The response should be considered on the basis that there will be further acts, unless those prepared to carry them out are brought to justice, decommissioned in their own way and put behind bars. This is not the first time and will not be the last unless there is a response. It cannot be left to America alone. An international response is needed and the Taoiseach gave the good advice that it should be under the United Nations umbrella.

I have a personal and family interest. My father, the first of his family, was born in this country. I have many first cousins in America. An uncle, who fought in the American forces during the Second World War, phoned me that night to tell me that as far as could be established all my cousins, who worked in Manhattan or on Wall Street, were alive. He told me that he considered this attack to be no different from Pearl Harbour and believed that the same response was needed now. It may have been a knee-jerk reaction, but the American President and the western world are faced with a stark choice. Terrorism must be faced down. The European Union and all those who cherish democracy must stand shoulder to shoulder with the American people. I do not envy the task of Deputy Cowen, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, but I know he will measure up to the job. He has had a steady hand as Minister during the last week. We can be proud of his approach, and the Taoiseach's.

The Irish people have shown a sympathy and understanding that will help, in however small a way, the American people. We need to tell the American people that they have been good to us and we are here now to hold their hands. I express my sympathy to the American President and people, to the American ambassador here and to all American citizens in this country. God bless America.

Mr. Connor

I join the Members in expressing absolute horror at the gothic horror that took place in New York on this day week. It was international terrorism achieving its worst aim so far. It makes one shudder to think that it could have been worse – the World Trade towers could have been a nuclear power station. Because they are above ground these power stations are just as vulnerable as two major skyscrapers.

I had the experience of having to wait until two o'clock on Wednesday morning to know that my own brother-in-law, who works in the Pentagon as a defence analyst, was safe. He had not been working in the Pentagon on that day. Thousands of us have had our own emotional involvement in what took place on the day.

I agree with Senator Hayes that we need to weep with the people of the United States at this terrible attack that threw an act of war upon them but we should also give them advice. It is natural at a time of great tragedy that some of the rhetoric should smack somewhat of the gung-ho. Terms like "Wanted – dead or alive" are not helpful. I pay tribute to the restraint and the intellectual strength of Mr. Colin Powell, the American Secretary of State. The way he has analysed the situation and spoken for his country has been exemplary.

Afghanistan is a rogue state. We all agree on that but the people of Afghanistan did not make it a rogue state. A junta took over in Afghanistan a few years ago after the Russians were forced to leave. There were a number of various kinds of governments and now there is one called the Taliban which is based on Islamic fundamentalism. The poor unfortunate people of Afghanistan have had an appalling history – two Afghan wars fought by outside powers, Russia and Britain, in the 19th century – all because Britain saw that Russia might be able to find influence in what was called British India through Afghanistan. Russia in turn felt threatened by Britain via Afghanistan. The last century hardly saw two or three years of relative peace and in the last three years it has suffered the most appalling drought. Three-quarters of its population are either refugees or internally displaced persons within their own borders.

The government gives refuge to Osama bin Laden and his people but none of the people who carried out the awful outrage last week were Afghans. On the list I saw they came from Algeria, Egypt, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Their troops were trained no doubt in the lawless atmosphere that exists in Afghanistan, but that is not the problem or the fault of the Afghan people who, because of the circumstances they are forced to live with, are probably the most wretched of people.

I counsel caution in the need to get at Osama bin Laden and the need for the international community to get at him. The proper place for him to be tried is before an international criminal court for crimes against humanity. I take it – maybe I should not – that he is guilty of this outrage and atrocity. The ratification of the International Criminal Court was put to referendum here and accepted by the people and will be ratified in domestic law. The United States did not sign their own treaty until just before the Clinton administration was leaving office and it appears that the current administration will never ratify the treaty in domestic law.

In the friendliest possible way I say to them that this new isolationism in the United States may become worse. Under the Clinton administration the direct involvement of the United States in the Middle East through its foreign policy was for the good. Withdrawal and isolationism are not for the good. The unresolved problems in the Middle East are at the very heart of this problem of international terrorism. The greatest world power has a major duty to use its influence and engage actively in the solution of these problems.

I extend my sincere sympathy and express my absolute abhorrence, horror and condemnation of those who committed the ferocious atrocity which we witnessed one week ago.

Ms Ormonde

It is difficult to speak without emotion about last week's events in the United States. Over the past week, people have spent every hour of every day watching the horrific scenes on television and talking about the existence of such evil in our world, trying to analyse the mindset of these evil people and how they could commit such atrocities. The scale of the tragedy, the total inhumanity of the manner of its execution, marks it out as very different and very frightening compared to anything that terrorists have done in the past.

This monstrous attack on the World Trade Centre and on the Pentagon has shocked the world. For so many Irish people, New York is a second home. The United States has influenced all our lives. I do not think there is any other country that has made such a huge investment in the United States as has Ireland or that has such a strong sense of human involvement with that country. We have a deep and sincere desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with them in their grief. This grief has been reflected in the extraordinary expression of sympathy and solidarity that has culminated in the nation's day of mourning which effectively closed down commercial and social activity throughout the State. This was very clearly expressed by the length of queues, the flowers, the bouquets, the letters and poems. This clearly showed how strong a bond exists between us and the American people at this awful time.

There is mounting pressure to retaliate and take all the necessary steps to respond to those terrorist attacks. This attack is against all the free people of the world, people who believe in human rights and liberty. The right of the United States to retaliate is not in question, but is it right to attack indiscriminately without proof? We must have concerns that there may be more innocent lives lost and proceed with caution and good judgment as well as resolution. The pursuit of justice must not be indiscriminate and I appreciate that at a time of such tragedy it is natural to seek revenge and point the finger of blame.

To echo the Taoiseach's words, self-defence is a right under the United Nations Charter and the response has to be an international one and kept within the terms of the United Nations Charter on Anti-Terrorism. It is important in the days ahead that a measured response is called for. I extend my sympathy to the people of America, to the leaders of American society, the firemen, the Mayor of New York and many more who are trying to restore normality into a world turned upside down. I too feel so sorry for them. God bless America.

Mrs. Jackman

I wish to share my time with Senator Joe Doyle. The same sky, the same sunshine are evident today in Manhattan. Last week we watched in disbelief that solitary plane very purposefully going towards the tower and tearing and searing one side of it, causing such destruction and havoc. Today we can see the remnants of that attack and the mangled remains of what were considered indestructible buildings. We have listened to the final telephone calls of the victims and gained an insight into how people reacted to the atrocity, when their first thoughts are for their loved ones. Some told their families they were safe but we know now that they perished. As Senator Connor stated, we have seen television pictures of millions of war weary people on the other side of the world making their sad way across the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. We know that these people lead wretched lives.

The images with which we have been assailed in the past week were ones of destruction. Out of that, however, we have witnessed people's resilience. Travelling to the Seanad this morning I listened to a radio interview with a New York fireman who has not slept since last week. He spoke in fervent terms about Father Mychal Judge and stated that he had met a saint, a comment he repeated three times. The fireman in question also stated that the bodies of many thousands of victims will not be recovered, which means that their relatives and friends will not be able to grieve at funerals. There will only be the memory of the final moments when those misfortunate people left their homes to spend another bright sunny day in Manhattan, which is a centre of enjoyment, contentment and life.

If I was to make one request today it would be that Ireland, given that it will soon hold the Presidency of the Security Council, bring into being the first glimmer of hope after this tragedy by asking Sinn Féin/IRA to put their arms beyond use and honour the Good Friday Agreement. This could be the first beacon of light which will help the American people to bear the enormous burden with which they were presented during the past week. We must also ensure that the relevant international bodies display a measured, cautious and patient approach to this crisis and not be swayed by thoughts or images of innocent victims such as the women and children who were completely annihilated or the young soldiers who have already died or who will die in the coming months.

I join with other Members in extending my sympathy to the American people and I ask God to bless America.

Mr. J. Doyle

It is very difficult to comprehend what happened in America, particularly New York, on Tuesday last, when the heart – an area covering 22 acres – was torn out of the city. If the atrocity had happened in Dublin, the area affected would stretch from O'Connell Street to Ballsbridge.

I cannot understand man's inhumanity to man. It is beyond my comprehension that evil men could bring about this tragedy. However, it has awakened in everyone a new sense of spirituality because we now understand the fragility of life. Last Tuesday morning, husbands said goodbye to their wives and parents said goodbye to their children, never to see them again. I am reminded of a song which says:

They flowered like the flower in the field,

the wind blew and they were gone,

and their place will never see them again.

We remember the dead and we pray for their relatives and friends.

Mr. Mooney

I join colleagues on all sides of the House in expressing sympathy to the families of those who died. My thoughts are with those left behind, particularly the wives who have given birth to now fatherless babies. I am fearful about the horror that will unfold as the debris is being cleared. I wish to place on record my deepest sympathy to the cousins of Father Mychal Judge whose parents came from an area near my home town of Drumshanbo, County Leitrim. Father Judge's father, Tom, and his mother, Mary, who came from near Drumkeeran, County Leitrim, emigrated on the same boat in the early 1920s. They met on the boat eventually married and had three children. Sadly, Tom died when Father Mychal was only six years of age. We all know the story of his wonderful subsequent contribution to the fire services in New York. Four of his first cousins are still alive, one in Granard, one in Dublin and two in the United States.

I compliment the Government on showing initiative in its decision to allow a national day of mourning, so that we could best express our horror, outrage and solidarity with the United States. There was some mistimed criticism of the decision, but I believe that the mood of the country was captured perfectly. We took the atrocity personally as, without exception, all of us have friends or relatives in the United States, or at least know someone or have a member of the extended family there.

Admiral Yamamoto, the Japanese commander of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbour, which had a similar effect to last week's events, later commented that he feared that the bombing had awoken a sleeping giant. There is no doubt that the people of the United States are angry, and rightly so. I hope that the American response, which is inevitable, will be measured and effective. Reassurance is needed in these uncertain times. We have seen the destruction and mayhem caused by 30 years of bombing and maiming on this island, an experience we share with those in other parts of Europe, the Middle East and throughout the world. It is a new experience for Americans, however, who never thought their country would be violated in such a horrific way. All of us are part of the international family which has experienced sadness, destruction and carnage, but none of us has experienced an incident similar to that foisted on the United States in one fell swoop.

I returned from Brussels earlier today where I attended a meeting of the group which monitors and reviews the stability pact in the former Yugoslavia. The common theme among the parliamentarians from throughout Europe was the need for international co-operation. I hope that a new firmness among civilised nations comes from the dust and debris of the World Trade Centre. We need to remove the cancer of terrorism from the world rather than from any single society. It is heartening that countries which have diverse cultures and religions, which in some instances have very little in common with the United States and may be politically opposed to that country, have unequivocally condemned this outrage.

I hope that the feeling of moral outrage throughout the world will be harnessed in a positive manner. For example, there is a need for greater co-operation in intelligence gathering. At another time and in another context, the gathering of intelligence related to last week's events will be questioned. All democratic countries need to look at this matter and to work for the common good, perhaps setting aside parochial interests and agendas. It seems inevitable that the United States is to intervene militarily in some part of the world. I echo comments made in this House and in other forums that if there is to be military intervention, it should be backed up by hard evidence. The rule of law should prevail as we have seen too many occasions when this has not happened. I would not like to suggest that this will not be the case, but those of us who are concerned for our families and communities are uncertain.

We live in a time of great uncertainty, the extent of which has not been experienced since the Second World War. While revenge is a normal desire, as can be understood from statements emerging from those in the United States, decisions should be made with international agreement. We fully support the right of Americans to retaliate, but we should not be drawn into a far greater confrontation.

I reiterate deep sympathy on behalf of all the people of Ireland to our cousins in the United States.

Mr. Caffrey

I join my colleagues in expressing my sympathy to the American people and everyone affected by this monstrous act, including Irish people. "Sympathy" seems a somewhat weak word to describe our feelings. People have been hard pressed to find adjectives to describe last week's events. No words have yet been uttered or written which fully reflect the enormity of the atrocities. Perhaps Seamus Heaney, Paul Durcan or some other poet will come up with them. Although the perpetrators of this crime were human, I believe they possessed the genes of demons in their hearts and souls if, indeed, they had hearts or souls. Their objective was to inflict suffering and grief on people and violate a nation and humanity.

The madmen being trained in camps throughout the Middle East and elsewhere have been aided and abetted by the Internet. Little did we realise the contribution it would make to the destruction of Manhattan. Governments must now consider closing down servers which offer sites to people who wish to transmit encrypted messages.

The American President stated that he would not make any distinction between the perpetrators of this crime and the people who harbour them. Neither should any distinction be made between different types of terrorism, terrorism which has a so-called political agenda and terrorism whose object is pure naked hatred which results in the infliction of pain for the sake of it. We can look in Ireland to Omagh as a microcosm of the tragedy which occurred in the US. If the IRA/Sinn Féin continue to ignore the wishes of the international community at this vital juncture, they will essentially go against the wishes of right minded people throughout the world.

If international governments continue to ignore an organisation such as the Taliban, which comprises a group of madmen imposing their will on a nation, civilisation has no future. We all join in urging President Bush to avail of the best option in these circumstances as his military options are limited. Although he must get to the root of this problem, I hope that any action taken will be measured and will not result in the massacre of innocent people.

Labhrás Ó Murchú

We all search for words to express our feelings and emotions at this terrible and traumatic time. We know how inadequate those words will be, yet we express them sincerely. Many of us even unintentionally endeavour to shut out the horror from our minds. As we watched those terrible events unfold in the United States, it seemed unreal that this could happen in the world today. It is, perhaps, one of the extreme examples of man's inhumanity to man.

We extend our sympathy, support and solidarity to the United States. Folk memory has always brought America and Ireland together and in many ways we see America as a sister nation. We saw that very clearly with the peace process when the American administration invested so much time endeavouring to solve our problems.

We should also give great credit to America for the exceptional restraint it has shown thus far. All of us would like see that restraint continue because ultimately we must realise that if we sacrifice other innocent lives at this time, we will not help in any way those who have been bereaved and are suffering in America. We, in Ireland, need to show our support not only in a practical way, but also in a moral way. Ar dheis lámh Dé go raibh na daoine ar fad a fuair bás.

An Cathaoirleach

I ask the House to conclude this session with a minute's silence as a mark of respect to all those who died or were affected by the events of last Tuesday in the United States.

Members rose.The Seanad adjourned at 5.35 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 3 October 2001.