EU Battle Groups – new legislation due to be passed by Government early next month

dublin | eu | press release Tuesday June 27, 2006 01:10 by Sinéad Ní Bhroin on behalf of the - Peace & Neutrality Alliance pana at eircom dot net

PANA Press Release June 27th 2006
For further info contact Roger Cole 087-2611597

On the 5th of July the Irish Government intends to pass into law legislation which will allow the Irish Army to be integrated into the Battle Groups of the European Union. This is a major turning point in Irish history. An Army which was established to gain Irish Independence from the British Union is now being integrated into a de facto Army of the European Union. Disturbingly, this important legislation is being passed with almost no debate or media coverage.

Roger Cole, Chair of the Peace & Neutrality Alliance said today; “For 10 years PANA has campaigned against the process by which the Irish political elite, slice by slice, has integrated Ireland into the US/EU military structures. We helped win the first Nice referendum and to organise one the largest anti-war demonstration in recent times on February 15, 2003.

Yet the Government joined NATO PfP without the promised referendum, has terminated the policy of Irish Neutrality by allowing Shannon Airport to be used by the US in their war on Iraq, refuses to search planes known to carry prisoners to torture centres and has now decided to integrate the Irish Army into EU Battle Groups which are little more than an extension of the NATO military structures.

All they want is to drag us deeper and deeper into the quicksand of the resource wars of the 21st century, especially in the Middle East in which the defeat of the US/EU is the only inevitable outcome."

For current information & analysis on Ireland’s role in the EU Battle Groups you can download a recently published PANA document entitled 'The EU BATTLE GROUPS: Regiments of the Empire' from our website http://www.pana.ie/idn/160106.html. We hope you find it useful.

Notice of Press Conference & Demonstration
PANA intends holding a Press Conference on the EU Battle Groups on the 4th of July in Buswells Hotel at 11.30am. PANA will also lead a protest against the impending legislative change on July 5th, outside the Dáil between 1pm & 2pm.