Article on Shannon Protests/Camp on Iranian News Agency Site - Shannon to feature on Late Late tnite

by Manus Fri Jan 10, 2003 16:12

he Leader of the Labour Party, Pat Rabbitte TD has urged the government to take
a much more proactive role in efforts to avoid what he described as 'a
potentially catastrophic war over Iraq'. Deputy Rabbitte also called on the
Taoiseach to make a full statement outlining what facilities had been made
available at Shannon Airport for American troops and equipment in transit to the
Gulf and said that any such facilities should be withdrawn until such time as
the Dail had been given an opportunity to consider the matter.

"It is now more than two months since the United Nations inspectors entered Iraq
on foot of a Security Council resolution. While some dissatisfaction has been
expressed by Hans Blix at the content of the dossier submitted by Iraq, two
months of intensive searches and inspections have revealed nothing incriminating
and certainly nothing that would justify a bloody war."

"Despite this the preparations for war continue with growing intensity each day,
(and there are now manifest tensions between the Bush and Blair governments and
between the Pentagon and the arms inspectors) which must lead one to conclude
that the political and military leaders of the United States have decided that
there is a predetermined outcome to this process and that they intend to go to
war, regardless of what the UN inspectors conclude."

"There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein is a brutal dictator, who has been guilty
of heinous crimes against his own people. There is little doubt that Iraq and
the world in general would be a better place without him. However, one has to
balance the perceived threat to peace posed by Saddam remaining in office,
against the death and destruction ? especially for the Iraqi people ? that will
be the inevitable result of a war."

"The United Nations document leaked this week painted a bleak picture of what
was likely to happen. It warned of a society of 26 million reduced to rubble and
the destruction of the national food distribution network currently administered
by the Iraqi government to sustain 16 million people. The outbreak of disease
in epidemic if not pandemic proportions was likely, the document warned. It
added that an estimated 3.03 million people, including 2.03 million already
malnourished children under the age of 5 would face starvation and require
therapeutic feeding. As many as half a million civilians would require medical
treatment as a result of war."

"We cannot accept the inevitability of war, especially if these are to be the
consequences. Ireland has been a largely silent spectator on the world stage
against the background of this terrifying drift towards war. We may no longer
hold a seat on the United Nations Security Council but that does not mean that
we can play no role. The Irish government through its membership of the EU and
the General Assembly of the United Nations should be seeking common cause with
other countries who wish to see war averted. In taking this position, the
government would be acting in accordance with the wishes of the Irish people
reflected in an opinion poll published last October, which showed a strong
national consensus against war."

"Unfortunately not only has the government been silent on the world stage, it
appears to have been quietly cooperating with the huge military build up for
war. There have been alarming reports of a significant increase of U.S.
military traffic through Shannon, while newspaper photographs have appeared
showing U.S. troops in Shannon wearing full battle dress, in apparent breach of
Section 317 of the Defence Act 1954."

"No information has been offered to the Dail as to the extent of the facilities
being provided at Shannon. Facilities that might be made provided to a friendly
nation in a time of peace should not automatically be available during war or
the build up to war. It is essential that the Dail be now given a full report
and allowed to debate the matter in full. Pending such a debate, these
facilities should be withdrawn while the government makes a real effort to help
avert this war."

"The prospect of war is especially unconscionable without the UN weapons
inspectors being given time and space to complete their tasks and UN sanction
being secured for whatever response is then merited."

by ex-stick Fri Jan 10, 2003 16:30

The sudden involvement of the Labour Party leadership in anti-war activity is oppurtunism of the most naked kind. It is part of a deliberate strategy of the new leadership to position themselves rhetorically at least on the left so as to prevent slippage of voters to Greens, SF, Socialist Party etc.

How can a party whose president is a leading proponent of the Rapid Reaction Force/Euro Army, which campaigned for the Nice Treaty, which has cravenly agreed to the new so-called anti-terror bill be taken seriously on this issue.

Of course there are principled individuals in Labour who have a good record on anti-war issues such as Joe Costello, Roger Cole etc. but these are not representative of that part's ruling group. Labour have played no role in building the anti-war movement and are now trying to piggy back on the tide of popular opinion.

So lets put some straight questions to them:

Will they give an absolute commitment that if Labour were to enter Government they would immediately halt the use of Shannon by US military planes?

Will they use their position in the Party of European Socialists and the Socialist International to oppose the Blair Governments involvement in the up-coming war?

Will the Labour public reps take part in non-violent direct action to highlight whats happening in Shannon?

Certainly lets welcome the support and involvement of ordinary members of the Labour Party and those who have taken a principled stance all along, regardless of what we think of their party as an organisation, but dont lets be fooled by the coterie of opputunists, PR people and ex-stalinists who make up that party's leadership. They will drop their opposition as quickly as the took it up, if they think it will benefit them electorally

by Andrew Fri Jan 10, 2003 16:41

Ex-stick you are surely right to say Labours jumping on the bandwagon is 'oppurtunism of the most naked kind'. But it's also an indication that we have a very, very good chance of winning on this. Opposition to Shannon refuelling is now going mainstream so lets get the mainstream down to the airport and on to the runway. If the peace camp is on the late late tonight it means 70% of the population will have a conversation about Shannon tomorrow - lets use that to build REAL opposition to the war.

by Manus Bree Fri Jan 10, 2003 16:56

You would be better advised to vent your criticism at the Fianna Fail government and US military machine!

If I'm not mistaken we all want the same result, a peaceful end to the Iraq issue and the reversal of the decision of the government in allowing Shannon being used by the US.

As a member of the labour party I reject the opinion that recent statement by our leader is opportunistic. The Labour party has been vocal on this issue since the US started using Shannon in October 2001,indeed Michael D. Higgins has raised this matter on numerous occasions and has been to many protests at Shannon and Dublin.

Labour Youth, including myself has been at Shannon on every occasion of a protest, including the first, following Sept 11th. Party members and public representatives from Sligo, Galway and Dublin have also been frequent visitors.

Labour youth members have been involved in peaceful direct action at Shannon in the past. One of our members in Limerick has spend most of last week at the camp and I myself have been there this week also.

I am grateful of any support from elected parliamentary representatives, whether it be the Green Party, Socialist Party or Labour Party, it highlights the issues and helps the progress of this campaign.

look fwd to seeing at the camp and in Shannon on the 18th, I presume you'll be jumping the fence?

by Irish American Sat Jan 11, 2003 20:20

You are aligning yourselves with fascists.

Here's just something from today's news:

Teenager sentenced to death for drinking alcohol in Iran.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2648933.stm