Ireland becomes 51 State of USA

national | crime and justice | news report

Monday February 23, 2004 11:44

by An Bean Siadha - Irish Defence Association

foi at taoiseach dot gov dot ie

The White House, Kildare St,. Dublin

01-6194020

Runsfeld praises An Taoiseach for Iraq War participation

Ireland Joins US and abandons Europe.
by An Bean Siodha - Monday, Feb 23 2004, 12:02am
address: phone:
international / anti-war / news report

Ahern and Cowen praised by US on Shannon stance
22/02/04 00:00
The Sunday Business Post, in an article by Pat Leahy reveals that the US and Ireland are far more closely interconnected than many Irish people realised. This article can be read on Page 4 of the SB Post on 22 Feb 04.

Ahern and Cowen praised by US on Shannon stance

22/02/04 00:00

By Pat Leahy
The US Embassy in Dublin sent messages to Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld praising the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the Dáil voted to continue the use of Shannon Airport by US forces last year.

Documents obtained from the State Department in Washington DC under the American Freedom of Information Act also show that the government told the US authorities that they were "reasonably confident of a favourable outcome" in a peace activist's High Court challenge to the use of Shannon last year.

In a cable sent immediately after the vote in the Dáil on March 20 last and marked "TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE . . . TO SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY",the writer noted: "Cowen in particular passionately defended Ireland's efforts throughout its UNSC [United Nations Secur ity Council] tenure in seeking to build consensus on diplomatic action to force Iraqi disarmament.

"He reinforced Ireland's commitment to its longstanding and important partnership with the United States, re-minded members of the economic benefit Ireland received from the US military's use of Shannon . . ."

The cable also noted that "Irish public opinion continues to be against USMIL use of Shannon . . . and the government will certainly take hits in the media and public for its decision."

Further communications between the US Embassy and Washington about Shannon continued during the case taken by Ed Horgan against the gover n me nt i n the H ig h Court.

Horgan, a former Ir ish army officer turned peace campaigner, claimed that the government's decision to provide facilities at Shannon to the US military was unlawful.

One message notes: "The GOI [government of Ireland] is reasonably confident of a favourable outcome."

The messages also revealed contact between the US Embassy and the Department of Foreign Affairs about the Horgan case.Washington was kept informed about anti-war protests taking place in Ireland.

On several occasions, the embassy noted approvingly that the scale of protests was decreasing.

In April, a cable to the office of the Secretary of State, labelled "sensitive", observed: "USMIL use of Shannon continues to be a rallying point for anti-war activists and government critics, but the successful coalition operations in Iraq are rapidly taking the wind out of protestors' sails."

Later, the writer noted: "The success of coalition forces this week has greatly reduced the scope and scale of anti-war protests in Ireland."

Other documents obtained from Washington show that, at a lunch with Brian Cowen in January 2003, ambassador Richard Egan complained about damage caused to a US plane at Shannon.

A cable toWashington read: "The meetings were friendly and cordial, but I had the opportunity to discuss that morning's eventatShannon Airport where one of our military aircraft was damaged by an anti-war protestor."

The document was marked "confidential", so further details were excised by officials in Washington before its release to The Sunday Business Post under the American Freedom of Information Act.

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Google Booby Trap for Bush

by Spare Wryb

Tue Feb 24, 2004 13:04

Bloggers across the globe have Google-bombed George Bush, and Google intend to do nothing about it. It works like this. Thousands of bloggers posted a story that contained four words in a single sentence. The words were George Bush miserable failure. To see the result, go to the Google search engine. Type in the words miserable failure without the inverted commas. Click on "I'm Feeling Lucky" and see what comes up. Enjoy!

Bertie Ahern to dance gig for GW Bush..

by David C.

Tue Feb 24, 2004 03:21

Taoiseach practicing Saint Patrick's day dance for President George Bush. Green tie being laundered.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is reportedly preparing for his annual Saint Patrick's day visit to the American President by practicing a traditional gig. The dance, specially choreographed for Mr. Ahern by famed Riverdance producer Moya Doherty, will be based upon a leprechaun motif as requested by President Bush. "I just love seeing Bertie every St. Patrick's day", said Bush. "he looks so cute with his little leprechaun dimples and his green tie, and its nice to see a European acting with proper subservience for a change!". The Taoiseach's office, in statement issued earlier today, said that "we know which side our bread is buttered on", suggesting that while some might consider Ahern's gig to be "humiliating", it was preferable to a full-scale occupation of County Clare by American forces. The statement went on to explain that the Taoiseach is currently practicing 4 evenings per week and expects to have mastered the gig well in advance of his March 17th private performance. When asked whether it was appropriate for the leader of the country to be prancing around in green for the entertainment of an American neofacist war-monger, the Taoiseach replied "I don't see why not. Its no worse than handing over our airspace or airports for his wars".

Disgraceful contrasts on Shannon side

by Tim

Mon Feb 23, 2004 20:11

Donald Rumsfeld, one of the criminals responsible for killing Afghans and Iraqis and occupying their lands, held a propoganda exercise at Shannon yesterday.
Rumsfeld used Shannon as a backdrop for a photo shoot for domestic consumption.
Not content with giving them the airport to use in killing and stealing, our government now lets them use it as part of the sick pro-war media campaign, and will let Bush use it later in his re-election campaign -AGAINST the wishes of the Irish people.

While Rumsfeld is well fed and carried around in luxury, the troops that he cheered on were en route to Iraq, which has descended into chaos.
This man gives a false smile for the cameras, as he sends these young men and women (OTHER PEOPLE's sons and daughters) off to hell.
He is content to put them in harms way, into an awful situation, where they may be killed or may be ordered to kill the sons and daughters of Iraq.
Rumsfeld smiles. While the killing and dying goes on, he will get richer. He visited Iraq briefly, never in any danger. Meanwhile the Iraqi people and the occupying troops face untold weeks and months of horror.

I saw his plane depart from Shannon airport. but I hadn't guessed that such a high ranking criminal was inside.
I also saw a troop carrier depart. One has to wonder how many of them would rather be going home. What do they think about the possibility of killing Iraqis or dying themselves, and all for a big lie about WMD and the unspoken truth about the oil?
What does Rummy care as long the oil flows westward?

Meanwhile, some miles upriver in Limerick.
Eoin Rice, a man responsible for the deaths of nobody, occupies a cell in Limerick Prison against his will.
He is not well fed, and is putting only his own health at risk in his hunger strike.
The State provided this backdrop for Eoin's story, because, unlike Rumsfeld, the Irish State does not want Eoin, or any of his fellow peaceniks in County Clare.
Unlike Rumsfeld, Bush, or Bertie, Eoin is honest about what he wants and he's not going to force other people into his campaign.
Liek most of us, Eoin cares about what happens to the Iraqis and the troops.
The Iraqis should be free in their own country and the troops should be at home with their loved ones.

But of course, that's not the way things work with warmongers and their corrupt lying accomplices.
125,855 troops came through Shannon last year. Bertie knew the WMD was unreliable before the war, because the Irish Dept of Foreign Affairs got a copy of the British dossier, (which our own experts rubbished)
Our govt knew the war was an unholy slaughter based on a lie, and still they bowed to their bed-fellows in Washington.

Rumsfeld and Bush will get the red carpet treatment from Bertie Ahern, and the likes of Eoin Rice will be punished for criticising the actions of the powerful and the greedy.

Whatever the boot-licking of Ahern, Cowen and co, when Bush comes to Shannon, the Irish people will turn out to send him a message - WAR CRIMINALS ARE NOT WELCOME IN IRELAND.

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Ireland becomes 51 State of USA

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