Peacecamp Touched Raw Nerve

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday February 05, 2003 17:36 by S. Aerobics - Reclaim the Runways transmit at ziplip dot com

World Airlines had suspended use of Shannon before the incidents of direct action.

It was reported on todays Radio 1 Morning Ireland, for the first time in public, that on Tuesday 28th January, Aer Rianta was told by World Airlines that it was suspending it's use of Shannon airport.

World Airlines, the chartered civilian aircraft transporting US troops hasn't given any official reason for diverting 17 flights.
Note, this decesion was taken before the direct actions that damaged the US Navy plane.

Aer Rianta say they didn't want to disclose news of the suspension on the 28th of January as it would be portrayed as a victory by anti-war activists at the peace camp.

Therefore Aer Rianta viewed World Airlines decesion to suspend it's flights as being related to the peace camp.

This shows World Airlines was putting pressure on Aer Rianta to get rid of the peacecamp.

And it follows that this pressure originated at a higher level with US authorities forcing the Irish Government to act on security.

Irish Troops are relatively low paid in comparison to their Garda peers and earn less than some security companies.

So as a cheap security solution the Irish army are working for the US authorities.

Only now, with the threat of the presence of the peace camp gone is information on the suspension of World Airlines flights made public by Aer Rianta.

It seems likely this information was intended to be released to coincide with legal proceedings (on trespass) to increase the pressure's (Media Circus etc.) on the peace camp and the anti-war movement in general.

But the threat by the US remains on the Irish Government, keep Shannon secure or you'll feel the squeeze.

Shannon is a raw nerve of the US war system.