Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

The Minister says this is moving on from the ISAF. It does not make any sense for the Minister to expect the same people who wreaked havoc and destroyed a country to be involved in rebuilding it. The Minister talks about helping governance and security and so on. The seven people may be very able, and I do not doubt their abilities or their intentions in any way, but really, what can they do? Is this not about Ireland playing the role of a complicit and obliging follower of the United States? It has been said that it may not be a coincidence that Ireland's involvement was linked with the re-emergence of our beef onto the American market. Is it the case that we are being rewarded for showing our compliance? The reality is that seven people cannot play that role, and seven people will not undo the devastation and destruction of 13 years of rape, pillage and instability in that country, no matter how good they are.

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