Kelly Dougherty writes a letter to the Taoiseach
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Kelly Dougherty
Dublin
As an American citizen and a former US army sergeant, I implore you to withdraw the Republic of Ireland’s support for the US war on Iraq by no longer allowing US military planes to land or refuel in Ireland. During my year of service in Iraq I witnessed first-hand the destruction, poverty and violence that the US occupation is causing. The lies used to justify the invasion of Iraq have long been exposed, and yet the occupation continues and the casualties mount. A recent study conducted by The Lancet has estimated that close to 100,000 Iraqi citizens have been killed since the March 20, 2003 invasion of Iraq. More than 1,550 of my fellow American men and women, and dozens of foreign soldiers and civilians, have lost their lives in this illegal, immoral war. Added to these gruesome figures are the tens of thousands of people returning from Iraq physically wounded and emotionally shattered. More than 350,000 US troops have passed through shannon Airport in recent years, including 158,000 just in 2004. Many of those soldiers were en route to Iraq, where they were being sent to fight, kill and die for a war based on lies. Taoiseach, I ask you to help end the US-led occupation of Iraq by no longer allowing the US military to use shannon Airport as a stopping point on the way to Iraq. There has been a strong friendship and connection between Ireland and the United States. My own ancestors emigrated to the US from Ireland. As an Irish-American I ask you to demonstrate the Republic of Ireland’s commitment to peace and to its policy of neutrality by ending Irish participation in this illegal war. I also request that Ireland offer safe refuge to US service members seeking asylum as a means to avoid participating in the illegal occupation of Iraq.... |