Ireland refused the invitation from the United States to join NATO when it was founded in 1947, and has maintained its military neutrality ever since. Roger Cole, Chair of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA), recently published this article in the IRISH TIMES. CrisisOpinion: The Army, born in a national struggle against imperialism, is being increasingly integrated into BattleGroups of the EU, a strategic military partner of Nato. ‘A small nation has to be extremely cautious when entering into alliances whichbring it, willy nilly, into those wars... we would not be consulted in how a warshould be started – the great powers would do that – and when it ended, no matterwho won . . . we would not be consulted as to the terms on which it should end.” – Taoiseach Éamon de Valera, Dáil Éireann, July 12th, 1955. On February 15th, 2003, millions of people throughout the world marched inprotest against the plan by the US and its vassal states to invade, conquer and occupy the sec...