Shannon Peace Camp

by Joe Again Mon Jan 06, 2003 15:56

This is an old mail on the idea of the camp but now it has happened

TO: all those who oppose Ireland's involvement in war
As you are aware Irish neutrality has been breached by the permission granted to the US airforce to use Irish airspace and land at Shannon airport while prosecuting its wars against countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.

Regular monitoring at Shannon airport has revealed its almost daily use by US forces to transport troops, cargo and war materials to and from its war zones.

We know also that the US airforce have no real need to use Irish airports because their aircraft can be refueled in mid-air and they have very adequate landing rights in NATO countries such as Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, etc, and bases in Greenland and Iceland. The decision to use Irish airports therefore can only be justified by the US and Irish governments as an means of ending Irish neutrality and getting neutral countries such as Ireland behind the US war of resources in defence of US national interests. The present Irish government appears to be conniving with US intentions and deliberately underming Irish neutrality in the interests of maintaining the supply of US foreign direct investment. We are selling Irish neutrality for 30 pieces of silver.

It is proposed to set up a permanent peace camp at Shannon along the lines of the Greenham Common peace camp against US nuclear missiles in the UK.

We urgently need donations to get this camp established. If anyone either has a caravan to donate or knows of where we could acquire one please let us know as soon as possible. Alternatively, we will need to purchase a second hand caravan, so any donations towards this purchase and the running costs of the Peace camp will be very welcome. Initially, donations can be sent to either Tim Hourigan or Edward Horgan, and made payable to the Green Party, Limerick.

We ask you also to participate in this peace camp by volunteering to spend time at the camp on a rota basis. We will welcome all visitors, but would appreciate if volunteer participants in the camp would stay for a minimum of 24 hours on each occasion that they are available.

Please copy this email to as many potential supporters as possible. War with Iraq has been onging with regular bombings by the USA and the UK since the last war in 1991. Full scale war against Iraq is very likely to occur again by March 2003 if not sooner. Tens of thousands of innocent people will die. We the Irish people will be complicit in these crimes against humanity unless we speak out as individuals and groups.

The Shannon Peace Camp is your opportunity to prove that no one has the right to kill innocent people in your name.

by katherine Harford - Shannon Peace Camp and MAMA Mon Jan 06, 2003 17:18

The update from the Shannon Peace Camp is that the Gardaí have informed those holding the vigil at the entrance to the warport where the caravan is now located, must leave immediatly. Air Riannta spokesperson, Niall Maloney informed Mary Kelly that the land is owned by the company and that they do not want the camp there. Mary then asked Mr Maloney to produce a map proving that the land belonged to Aer Rianta, this he was unable to do. When asked if he was representing the state Mr Maloney said "you know who i represent"??

So basically to back up what has already been stated above please show your support to the peace camp, if you can spare any time to get down there your presence help when it comes to possible eviction.

The Gardaí/State have chosen to support Aer Rianta not the peace camp. They have chosen to remove a single caravan rather than prevent war and the use of Shannon Airport, although this is hardly surprising, its up to us now.

by Ciaron - DCW Mon Jan 06, 2003 18:42 ciaronx at hotmail dot com 087918 4552

If the camp is under threat we should do some solidarity activity in Dublin at Ministry of Transport or Air Rianta.

by Irish American Mon Jan 06, 2003 20:38

A quote from Michael Ignatieff in this Sunday's New York Times magazine pretty much says it all:

"Yet it remains a fact -- as disagreeable to those left wingers who regard American imperialism as the root of all evil as it is to the right-wing isolationists, who believe that the world beyond our shores is none of our business -- that there are many peoples who owe their freedom to an exercise of American military power. It's not just the Japanese and the Germans, who became democrats under the watchful eye of Generals MacArthur and Clay. There are the Bosnians, whose nation survived because American air power and diplomacy forced an end to a war the Europeans couldn't stop. There are the Kosovars, who would still be imprisoned in Serbia if not for Gen. Wesley Clark and the Air Force. The list of people whose freedom depends on American air and ground power also includes the Afghans and, most inconveniently of all, the Iraqis."

by hunter - pfln Mon Jan 06, 2003 21:34

i just can't resist. You calim that US military might saved the people of Germany, Japan and Kosovars. Complete Bullshit. If anything, it was the Russians who enabled the defeat of Nazi Germany through massive sacrifice and defending the motherland (and do you remember Dreysden?). As for Japan, if you honestly believe that dropping two nukes on innocent civillians 'saved' Japan then you really are as insane as your post suggests. And finally as reagards serbia, i do believe it was the Serb people themselves who freed themselves from Slobbas rule, and all the NATO bombs in the world couldnt get rid of him (and of course there is the question of the use of depleted uranium). Take the blinkers off mate, I suppose you think that being killed by napalm is just like being freed to? or having an elected government overthrown?

anyway, it would appear i've taken the trolls bait, but fuck it.

by Phuq Hedd Mon Jan 06, 2003 21:59

Quotes "local woman" Kay Whyte as one of the organisers and notes that support was offered by novelist Jennifer Johnston and broadcaster Leila Doolan. Notes that there was a good deal of support from passing motorists and the local community and that placards included "Americans Against War - We Love You" and others. Also noted the date of the next Shannon warport protest on January 18th called by the Irish Anti-War Movement. Good enough piece which doesn't matter the Dubsky case, the neutrality problem and includes the following:

" According to figures for 2002 from the Department of Foreign Affairs, 523 foreign military planes the highest in 12 years were given permission to land at Irish airports to the end of November, most of them believed to be US aircraft landing at Shannon."

A good enough "objective" snippet from Gordon Deegan, but it needs more context.