Mary White (Fianna Fail)

—— but matters will change in a couple of months time. The politicians in the North and South have a responsibility not to leave a vacuum. One was left by the delay in elections in the North which resulted in two extremes and cut out the SDLP, which is very sad.

Britain and the United States have military bases in Saudi Arabia which is home to Islam's holiest sites. This is irritating and it is destructive to see them near Mecca and elsewhere. The people are very sensitive that the United States is reaching out and wants its bases there to protect its oil. A further irritation are the awful sanctions against Iraq, sponsored most vainly by the United States. It is estimated that 500,000 children perished in Iraq.

My heart was lifted this morning when I heard on CNN news that President Chirac of France, whom I admire, said in Davos yesterday that there must be global warfare against poverty. My heart lifted because that is the kind of talk I want to hear, a call to fight against poverty. I guarantee that fighting poverty and inequality, not only in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, will have a significant impact on support for terrorism.

I will finish by quoting former President Clinton. He stated: "We in the wealthy countries have to spread the benefits of the 21st century, and reduce the risks, so that we can make more partners and fewer terrorists in the future."