Ahern to allow USAF to use Shannon during war!

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday March 18, 2003 19:53 by Phuq Hedd

Brian Dowling, The Independent

Full text transcribed. Bascially Bertie is proving that the only thing that's going to work is Direct Action. He's going to let the USAF continue to do the dirty on Ireland. It ought to obvious even to the meanest intellects in the anti-war coalition that the time for appealling to politicians and wringing of hands is over.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern is poised to take the biggest gamble of his political career by supporting the US military's continued use of Shannon airport - even for an American-led invasion of Iraq.

With all the opposition parties now united in calling for facilities at Shannon to be withdrawn because of the "go-it-alone" stance of the US coalition, the Government looks set to finally face a decision on the crisis.

Yesterday, Mr Ahern and Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen assessed the latest developments for 30 minutes before they attended the GAA club finals at Croke Park.

The Cabinet will consider the impending war with Iraq tomorrow and ministers are expected to set out their stand on the role of Shannon airport. The Dail is unlikely to be recalled until war begins.

It appears, however, that the Government will go in the direction hinted at by Mr Ahern during his trip to the United States last week. In Washington, after his meeting with President Bush, he pointedly said that facilities at Shannon were available in previous conflicts, even without any UN resolutions.

He also said that if the Government withdrew landing facilities, it would be the only country to do so. And he said this was different to supporting an invasion that was not authorised by the United Nations.

Mr Ahern and members of the Government are acutely aware of Irish public opposition to the war. This was highlighted by the 100,000 people who protested in Dublin recently and strong opinion poll findings showing a majority opposed to the US military use of Shannon airport, with or without UN sanction for a war.

It seems the Government hopes to balance its stance on Shannon with a declaration that it cannot support an invasion that does not have the backing of the UN.

Last night, Labour Party foreign affairs spokesman Michael D Higgins insisted the time had come for the Government to end its "cowardly silence" and to speak up for peace and the upholding of international law.

"The cowardly equivocation of Bertie Ahern and his government colleagues over the past few months has brought shame on the country.

"The voice of Ireland on international affairs - once proud, once strong, once genuinely independent - has been reduced to an impotent whimper," he said.

Brian Dowling
Political Correspondent