120 armed troops to Shannon tomorrow
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Tuesday February 04, 2003 16:42
by Aoife Ni Fhearghail - Irish Anti-War Movement
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Michael Smith (Defence Minister) today confirmed 120 armed troops will provide 24-hour security for US war planes on the way to the Gulf - so much for neutralith - the Irish army is now directly involved in the war. Ireland.com article below
Smith sends soldiers to guard US planes landing in Shannon
By Patrick Logue Last updated: 04-02-03, 14:48
The Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, has confirmed 120 armed troops will provide 24-hour security to US military planes landing at Shannon Airport on their way to the Gulf.
The soldiers will be deployed tomorrow, to provide back-up to the Garda, Mr Smith said after a meeting with the Ministers for Transport and Justice this morning. The three ministers also briefed a Cabinet meeting on the issue.
A Garda spokesman said senior officers met with Army authorities in Shannon earlier this morning to discuss the logistics of deploying troops at the airport.
The Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, called for military help yesterday after five peace activists allegedly breached the perimeter fence at Shannon, broke into a hangar and damaged a US military plane.
The plane was being repaired after €500,000 worth of damage was caused in an earlier attack by another peace activist brandishing a hatchet.
Mr Smith told RTÉ that suggestions soldiers may be able to open fire were "absolutely absurd".
"There is no question of opening fire," he said. "That's an absolutely absurd exaggeration of how security is done in this country."
He said the Army would help gardaí patrol the perimeter fences and hangars. Mr Smith said the move was not an overreaction. "We will be supporting the Garda Síochána to make sure that Shannon remains peaceful," he said.
"People are entitled to protest. It is a fundamental aspect to our democracy, but they do not have the right to damage property and they do not have the right to label themselves as peace campaigners when they carry out those sort of actions".
Last night, a US State Department spokesman said it had conveyed its "serious concerns to the Government about security at Shannon, and we have agreed to work with the Government to solve this problem".
The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has been accused of exaggerating the scale of yesterday's incident after he wrongly claimed that a garda had to be taken to hospital afterwards.
Condemning the attackers, Mr Brennan said the garda had "wound up" in hospital after five protesters broke into the hangar housing the US aircraft shortly after 4 a.m. yesterday.
Questioned on this point, the Garda Press Office said the garda had been overpowered: "He tried to stop them damaging the place. He had no physical injuries. He did not go to hospital, but he was seen by a doctor".
Comments (10 of 10)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Some of us alot sooner than others obviously!!
it raises worrying points: if the soldiers arent going to fire; then why are they carrying loaded guns?
Also what exactly are those gun-toting Branchmen going to do with their uzis? If they see a protestot carrying an axe or lump hammer, will they have cause to shoot?
Gardai have gotten away with shooting unarmed people before.
Some soldier was on the news at one and he said that they wouldn't shoot people trying to get into the airport. Sort of negates the point of having them there if they are saying it openly. Lots of overtime anyway!
Army don't get overtime - police do which is probably part of reason for the deployment of troops - it saves $$$$
Whatever it takes. The brotherhood has come back to resist and we will sing 'No Surrender' openly.
You have had your chance. The critical mass will form at the peace camp, whether it's in the same place or another.
We will match your puppets - PLEASE DON'T BE A PUPPET FOR THESE COWARDS. NOW FOR THE FUTURE!
Feel the pulse! Primed! Phoblacht na hEireann.
Feel it! Direct ACTION! Leadership!
Don't mind the sheep they need need leaders.
To Fianna Fail: We're one step ahead of you.
aah, the Kevin Turvey school of revolution.
Dont back down Aoife, dont let them run the Irish Anti War movement away from Shannon. You have a democratic right to protest unless Bertie has created a dictatorship. We need more people now in Shannon not less. I still know many soldiers and they have told me they would never shoot unarmed protesters for their officers and Bertie Ahern, especially women, can you imagine how they would explain that to their own kids and families?. So dont fear and dont be chased off either.
However even if some do chicken out, even a small protest of 1 person in Shannon can be the conscience of a nation. Richard Barrett was good on rte earlier. He was libelled and called the the leader of the armed section of the peace movement by rte's latest favourite fascist from UCD called tom Cooney or something or other,I think. Ed Horgan came across as an honourable former Irish soldier, however he was subjected to the de rossa school of heckling and constant interuption from the CIA gobshite on the programme.
They will fire or allowed to fire under 3 circumstances:
1. If they feel that their lives are in danger.
2. If a garda or soldier is being disarmed.
3. If protestors are causing damage to private or public property.
The property thing again. Interesting. Maybe Mr. Marx was onto something?
I would doubt very much that protesters have much cause to worry about the threat of fire from the irish army. what is more likely however is that the Army will strengthen the numbers for baton wielding securiy, and intimidation of cowds due to the presence of arms. The purpose of all this is to keep all in favor of neutrality away from as far removed from the governments participaton in this war as is possible. Thus allowing Bertie to follow that great FF party policy 'No explainations, no justifications, no apologies', untill war begins (officially) and he can let it all fade into the background.
Batons are the first thing to be used but eventually according to army regulation they will fire. I am not suggesting that the Irish army will fire at protestors. I doubt they would. But these are the orders as laid down by their commanders in chief - the ruling class.
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