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More US warplanes at Shannon

category international | crime and justice | news report author Wednesday July 11, 2007 23:18author by Edward Horgan Report this post to the editors

11 July 07 - Asylum seekers being deported as US warplanes welcomed and protected

A heavy garda escort was provided for four African asylum seekers who were being escorted through Shannon airport, loaded on to a Garda 'paddy wagon' and put on a plane back to God knows where, at about 4.30 PM on Wed 11 July 07. Meanwhile, three US warplanes sat on the secured central area of the airfield, with an Irish army protection escort.
2 US Hercules C 130 and OMNI troop carrier at Shannon 11 July 07
2 US Hercules C 130 and OMNI troop carrier at Shannon 11 July 07

Ireland has a duty under the UN Convention on Refugees to provide protection for asylum seekers and refugees. Yet it puts considerable effort into preventing asylum seekers entering Ireland each year, and deporting those it deems invalid asylum seekers. The number of asylum seekers allowed in to Ireland each year is now down to about 4000, while at lease another 4000 are turned back at Dublin airport each year, and a significant proportion of those allowed in are later deported, like those passing through Shannon today. Ireland is failing to meet its international obligations to provide adequate protection for many of the asylum seekers that seek refugee here.

Ireland also has obligations under international laws including the UN charter and the Hague Convention on neutrality, to prevent Irish territory being used for crimes against humanity including torture and war crimes. Ireland is also failing to live up to these obligations, and instead it has allowed over 1,000,000 US troops to transit through Shannon airport to unlawful wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

There is now widespread acceptance in the US and the UK, and indeed worldwide, that the Iraq war was unlawful, unjustified and that therefore the over half a million people who died as a result were effectively murdered. Tony Blair has resigned as Prime Minister and is now seen a discredited person. George Bush now has the support of less than one third of the US people and is widely regarded as one the most discredited Presidents in US history, mainly because of the Iraq war.
Yet, even though the Irish Government has actively participated in this war, this complicity has become almost taboo in the Irish media. There is a conspiracy of silence.
We are deporting autistic children who seek our help and refuge, we are treating survivors of torture deplorably in so-called 'direct provision' hostels, and new legislation is being planned (the Immigration, Protection and Residency Bill) to arrest and imprison asylum seekers.
Under the Hague Convention we should be arresting and interning all US troops passing through Shannon airport, and under UN conventions on crimes against humanity and torture, we should be searching all US military and CIA planes passing through Shannon, and handing all known or suspected war criminals US war criminals over the International Criminal Tribunal.
Dozens of peace activists have been arrested at Shannon for the 'Crime' of exposing Irish complicity in war crimes, and several have been imprisioned.
In Mayo, farmers and fishermen are gailed for defending their human rights, and Gardai who carry out unjustified assaults get off Scott free.
Justice in Ireland is rapidly becomming a foreign concept.

author by Roger Cole - Peace & Neutrality Alliancepublication date Thu Jul 12, 2007 12:41author email pana at eircom dot netauthor address 17 Castle Street, Dalkeyauthor phone Report this post to the editors

Ed Horgan's commitment to opposing the decision of the
FF/PD government - now joined by the Greens- to back
President George Bush's invasion, conquest and occupation
of Iraq in order to consolidate US/Israeli military domination of the Middle East and gain contol of the oil is as powerful and as committed as ever.
It is of course depressing that the Greens are now a war party, especially as they opposed it up to the results of the election. Now virtually every party, FF/Greens/PD's/FG and Labour all now support Bush's war.
The same parties will all support the EU Constitution Mark 2
and the EU Battle Groups. While the only reason the Mark 2 version was agreed was to avoid having referendums in the EU states, because of Raymond Crotty, they have to have one in Ireland in 2008.
This referendum will give all of us opposed to the integration of Ireland into the EU/US military structures via the use of Shannon by the US Empire and the integration of the Irish Army into the EU's Battle Groups a real chance of defeating the Irish War Party, the FFFGGPPDLP Party. We did it before when we won Nice 1 and since all they offer is deeper and deeper involvement in war I have no doub that if we all work together we can win again.

Related Link: http://www.pana.ie
author by Ronocpublication date Thu Jul 12, 2007 18:26author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Well when the referendum comes around, its quite important that all the young people get out and vote. Its important to get the message out via leafets and posters. Because the parties and news papers that be are going to be filling peoples heads full of rubbish on how it will be good for us...

author by Reality checkerpublication date Thu Jul 12, 2007 20:41author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Don't you know it has never been ratified by Ireland (as your legal team acknowledged in your failed High Court case) http://airportwatch.wikispaces.com/space/showimage/Horg...t.pdf - bottom of page 28.

It is not part of Irish law.

author by Weaselwatchpublication date Thu Jul 12, 2007 22:36author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Thank you for giving the link to the Horgan judgment.

Why do you distort what the judgement says?

The judge said that it was accepted that the Hague convention was not operative here as treaty law - but he immediately then acknowledges that Horgan is right is saying the Conventiion nevertheless is part of customary international law. You seem to miss that bit.

Horgan argued that our Constitution entitles the people of Ireland to insist that their Government abide by international law. Have a look at Article 29 to see why he might think so.

The judge disagreed.

Horgan is essentially right. What has happened breached international law.Everyone knows that. The tragedy is the enforcement mechanisms are still so weak that renegade governments act with impunity. And craven ones let them do it at places like Shannon.

author by Ciaranpublication date Fri Jul 13, 2007 01:45author address author phone Report this post to the editors

All the talk in the world wont end what is happening in Shannon. The place has to be shut down, physically shut down. Remember what Cowan said about refusing the US permission to use Shannon back in 2004 "it would be tantamount to declaring war". What he means is we are being economically held to ransome. For the leaders of the state economic pressure means more than the legal / moral pressure that has been thrown at this issue thus far. Organise now, mobilise and march on Shannon, shut it down. We have the right, we have the means and we have the duty. This is worth getting hurt for, and yes (before labour youth etc butt in) i am prepared to get hurt. Shut the place down and dont have the actions of Bush on our national consience.

author by Ciaranpublication date Fri Jul 13, 2007 01:51author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Called 'Air strip one'.

www.myspace.com/ciaranabc

Related Link: http://www.myspace.com/ciaranabc
author by Reality checkerpublication date Fri Jul 13, 2007 02:35author address author phone Report this post to the editors

No, I’m not distorting anything. Let’s accept that the Hague Convention is part of “customary international law.” I didn’t miss that bit. Now let’s also accept (as Horgan’s legal team did) that Hague was never ratified by Ireland. Where does that leave us? As you suggest, it is instructive to look at Article 29. Specifically 29.6 which states bluntly and baldly: “No international agreement shall be part of the domestic law of the State save as may be determined by the Oireachtas.” Perhaps YOU missed THAT bit? Whatever way you cut and dice it, it’s blindingly obvious that the Hague convention, for all its status as “customary international law” is not part of the domestic law of the State.

The judge summed in up in at page 60 of the Horgan judgement: “Where a conflict arises, the rule of international law must in every case yield to domestic law” - couldn't be clearer.

No weasel words there, my friend. In fact, Horgan’s argument based on a particular interpretation of Article 29.3 and the rather woolly and aspirational Articles 29.1 and 29.2, while completely ignoring the explicit and unambiguous Article 29.6, should be more worthy of the attentions of a dutiful Weaselwatcher?

author by anonpublication date Fri Jul 13, 2007 05:07author address author phone Report this post to the editors

According to figures published by the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) yesterday, the numbers of troops that went through Shannon from March to June was 63,827, with 27,104 passing through in May alone.
The figures are a 135pc increase on the 27,070 passengers that went through the airport between January and the end of March.

According to the Executive Chairman of the SAA, Pat Shanahan, "It is a business we do very well. Obviously the ultimate decision is a government decision, [but] while there is a business opportunity we will certainly capitalise on it."

Iraq pillager and American ambassador welcomes Green to the his side of the war on terror.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/index.aspx?c=irel...lcwql

Green stance on Shannon will not harm US-Irish relations
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland...8.ece
He said he didn't think it would damage the relationship between Ireland and America, adding that the US Government actually agrees with many of the Greens' environmental policies.

The ambassador, who took up his post in Dublin last October, denied that rendition of prisoners was “international kidnapping” because it had the agreement of the two countries involved.

Airport Iraq qar protestor - hoax bomber jailed
http://www.eveningecho.ie/news/bstory.asp?j=224809462&p...10222
A 49-year-old man who caused Dublin Airport to be evacuated last summer when he paraded around the arrivals area claiming to have a bomb and threatening to set it off because he wanted to "make a point" has been sentenced to three years by Dublin Circuit Court.

John McHugh, , caused chaos when he held a backpack over his head and shouted "Allah Akbar", "clear the airport" and "I have a bomb and I'm going to set it off". When challenged by airport police he set the bag on the ground and gave him self up for arrest. An army bomb disposal team was called and established that the bag contained only personal items.

McHugh pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false statement that he was in possession of an explosive substance at the airport on July 4, 2006.Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended the final year of the three year jail term and said that given the events of the past year she could only guess at the terror McHugh had caused families at the airport to suffer.

The court heard that McHugh was wearing a T-shirt on which he had printed "I salute the Iraqi's right to bear arms". He had worn the shirt on Grafton Street days earlier and was disappointed that no one had reacted to it.As a result he formulated a plan to make the bomb threat at the airport. His defence counsel said he was "very put out" by the lack of reaction on Grafton Street and felt it necessary to take action "which would illicit a reaction".

He told gardai he had lived in Holland for 13 years. He said he had been affected by accounts of events in the former Yugoslavia and treatment of Muslims in that part of the world.He said he had joined the Kosovo Liberation Army and had spent five days on manoeuvres with them. He said his bomb threat was a protest against the American military's use of Shannon Airport

He said he did not like scaring women and children but had wanted to "make a point". He said he had no access to explosives and had no intention of hurting anyone."I scared the living daylights out of innocent people and will regret it for the rest of my life", he told gardai.

Remy Farrell BL, defending, said his client had intended to "create a stir" and "had not thought out the full consequences of his actions". Mr Farrell said McHugh had a "deep felt obligation to do something about a situation elsewhere in the world".

War Criminal passes through Shannon again
http://www.emilitary.org/article.php?aid=11514
SHANNON, Ireland, July 9, 2007 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff pleasantly surprised a number of Air National Guardsmen on their way to war. Following successful meetings in Italy, Marine Gen. Peter Pace was on his way back to the United States when his C-40B aircraft landed here to refuel.

It would be fair to call this airport outside Dublin a crossroads of war. This was not the first time Pace has met soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines here, either going to war or coming home from it.
http://www.travelblog.org/gmaps/map_42H.html Route to Iraq Via Shannon

Between 4,000 and 8,000 U.S. troops pass through the airport each week, usually at night, said Army Lt. Col. Martha Reynolds, the Defense Department’s aerial port manager. She said the Irish workers at the airport help make the U.S. servicemembers feel at home.

author by The Insiderpublication date Fri Jul 13, 2007 08:58author address author phone Report this post to the editors

"All the talk in the world wont end what is happening in Shannon. The place has to be shut down, physically shut down"

No. The place has to be cleared of US warplanes. What is the point of shutting it down and making all the workers there redundant?

And people wonder why there isn't more support for this!

author by elisapublication date Fri Jul 13, 2007 13:03author address author phone Report this post to the editors

"Young voters...
by Ronoc Thu Jul 12, 2007 18:26
Well when the referendum comes around, its quite important that all the young people get out and vote. Its important to get the message out via leafets and posters. Because the parties and news papers that be are going to be filling peoples heads full of rubbish on how it will be good for us... "

Whats the betting that a referendum like this will be held on a completely inconvenient,incompatible day for young people such as the elections were held on this year.Before this referendum we will have to ensure that a weekend voting bill has passed or it will be an uphill struggle.

"The place has to be shut down, physically shut down"

Shannon airport?ehh it is the only airpot serving the shannon region you know?I for one dont fancy the trip up to Dublin/cork everytime I want to escape the country :) Just the US millitary out please

author by Ciaranpublication date Fri Jul 13, 2007 14:43author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Need to clarify what i mean by "shutting down" here, im talking about making it non operational for so long as the war criminals are using it, that can be done. Dont really know why people thought i was proposing that we deny the area an airport facility and get people made redundant etc.
In the days of trade union disputes, closed shops etc, the concept of shutting a facility down without actually getting rid of it for all time was sort of well known and understood within radical even progressive thinking.
Perhaps people prefer to practice their command of legal jargon than consider actually forcing movement on this issue.

author by Practicality - nonepublication date Fri Jul 13, 2007 19:29author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Seriously how do you propose that to be done????

author by Ciaranpublication date Fri Jul 13, 2007 19:57author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Mass direct action thats how, its not a mystery. Our country is rightly being seen as involved in the genocidal conspiracy, theres the motivation. Our people have demonstrated their active abhorance to that genocide before it even took place through massive rallys in both Belfast and Dublin, theres the opposition. Now with some initiative, innovation and courage, which is undoubtedly there looking at brilliant actions such as those at Rossport (and indeed at shannon itself), if everybody does their bit i think shannon could be shut down. Anywhere can be shut down with the right effort.
Just out of interest what would be the objections? - preferably not regarding peoples travel schedules,Thanks.

author by Uncle Sampublication date Fri Jul 13, 2007 21:47author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Are you going to lead the charge then???I look forward to seeing your propositions for closing down Shannon and making a distinction between people who want to work and use the facilities tofly in and out of Shannon and stopping USAF aircraft landing and refuelling there.

author by Ciaran - Organise!publication date Fri Jul 13, 2007 23:51author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Oh God Uncle Sam cant you read? I said earlier that this was an issue i would be willing to get hurt for and i meant it, i also asked to hear peoples objections to direct action that were not based around the publics flight schedules so i have beaten your cynical assault before you even began it.
But while your here, no you most likely cannot physically disrupt mililtary traffic in Shannon without disrupting public flights, indeed the first thing conservatives will accuse you of is annoying the public (starting with you Uncle sam). That said industrial slaughter in Iraq and the animalistic transportation of human beings to illegal prison camps is more important than me or you having to travel "all the way to Dublin" to get a plane.
You say you would love to hear of my plans to shut the place down. Well suprise suprise i dont have any blueprints on me, but unlike the constitutionally obsessed posters above i have faith that a mass movement could collectively come up with a plan.
And this issue deserves a mass movement with nobody at its head. Ill say it again, the place can and should be shut down. Now wow me with how we can force Bertie and George W's hand using constitutional pressure instead.

author by Ciarans madpublication date Sat Jul 14, 2007 00:47author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Seriously if you cant get more than 100 people to a protest at the airport how the heck do you think you can get a mass of people to involved in direct action on the airport itself...besides which after you and your cohorts had taken direct action and presumibly being hauled off by the gardai the airport would reopen immediatly...protest little more than a cry for media attention i think Ciaran..its not sustainable and any action that could close the airport on a more lasting timeframe would have to be a terrorist one...so numpty you are in fact talking completle bollox...if you want attention so badly go on the late late and abuse pat..sure that made the last guy very famous..the truth is you have feck all support willing to partake in direct action and to bother protesting ..just accept the yanks are here to stay and do you know what they are more than welcome.....

author by Ciaranpublication date Sat Jul 14, 2007 10:07author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Since you want to drag the tone down, your the one talking bollox. I dont want publicity nor do i give a shite about Pat Kenny, take it out of the realms of stupid Dublin newspaper whacky front page headlines. This is about our country being a staging point for mass murder. It shuldnt be allowed to happen and it neednt be allowed to happen, the place should be shut down till it stops. Will it be done with 100 people ? of course not, ive made it clear it will take a mass movement. So before any more smart arse pragmatic / defeatest mouthpieces start spouting worthless middle class wisdom, read what i am saying. We need well organised MASS direct action. Otherwise the yanks may likely stay. Now im away to take my child to portrush for a few days. If any more snottery pragmatists insult me while im gone, someone watch my back.
Put the Yanks out of shannon, whatever way you can. Looking forward to being proved wrong by the legal buffs.

author by Ciaran s Madpublication date Sat Jul 14, 2007 19:01author address author phone Report this post to the editors

You can say MASS action as many times as you like Ciaran it dosent change the fact that there hasnt been anything near the numbers for any kind of action at Shannon since the start of the war.Crowds in attendance havent gotten above 100+ in a long long time....to propose a MASS action useing a non exsisting MASS is plain stupid...the public support is not there..if it was the airport wouldnt have yanks there supping pints as i type.....although we do agree on one thing i am a pragmatist ie pratical matter fact way of solveling problems and assess situations...it appers your arent as you cannot see the basic facts
1.there are insignificant numbers for a Mass action.
2.There is no public support for a mass action
3.Any action would only be a tempoary act
4.The airport would return to business asap
5.The yanks will keep on coming...
Now continueing to propse acts which in reality have no chance of a happening or be successfully achieveing the intended goal ie yanks out of shannon is foolish and attention seeking behaviour..enjoy Portrush....i

author by Edward Horganpublication date Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:45author address author phone Report this post to the editors

I agree with Ciaran,
Closing Shannon Airport to the US military and to the CIA is now an urgent necessity. Over half a million people have died as a direct result of the unlawful Iraq war, including an estimated 262,000 children. That means they have been murdered. As members of humanity, and as Irish citizens, we have a duty to prevent mass murder.
There are many ways of creatively and peacefully closing down Shannon airport to the US military and CIA.
Ciaran's critics including "Ciaran s Mad" claim that there is no, or very little public support for protests or direct actions at Shannon airport. He may be correct in some of that assumption, although the PANA poll before the recent election showed that 58% of the Irish people are opposed to US military use of Shannon airport.
Let us remember also that the vast majority of the German people supported Hitler throughout World War II and the Holocaust. This include the present Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XV1. He was an active member of the Hitler Youth as a teenager and later served as a German soldier with a German anti-aircraft unit right up until the end of the war.
What is happening at Shannon Airport is the equivalent of Ireland's involvement in the holocaust as facilitators in the same way that many eastern European countries, and some western European countries, did. They were both victims and perpetrators.
In the case of Ireland and the Iraq war, we have been perpetrators, but not victims - we have been perpetrators and beneficiaries.
A very small number of German people opposed Hitler. Colonel Count von Staufenberg, was one of the few heroes who opposed Hitler and paid with his life, but he did restore some German honour in so doing.
Dont expect the democratic majority represented by Bertie's FF, Enda's FG, and now the compromised Green party, to support the closing of Shannon airport to the US military.
We must do what is right because it is right and accept the consequences.
We must not, however, be so arrogant as to believe that any of us can ever be 100% right. That is why any such direct actions must be non-violent, and exceptional steps must be taken to prevent injury to people. But, as the jury in the Catholic Worker's trial correctly found, justified damage to property is sometimes necessary to prevent harm being perpetrated, even if that harm is removed in time and by geographic distance.
The time for any such action is always now, while the evil is still being perpetrated.

author by Ciaron O'Reilly - Catholic Worker/Ploughsharespublication date Sun Jul 15, 2007 13:21author address author phone Report this post to the editors

G'Day,

I spent the last part of last year working on a Committee of 100 style idea for NVDA at Shannon. As usual the government took the proposal more seriously than the peace movement spending (according to one journalist) in excess of 2 million euros in reponse to the proposal on beefed up security (Garda & soldiers). In december a decision was made by those working on the project that he didn't have legs.

The NVDA campaign against Trident in Scotland is a worthy model to be applied at Shannon. It does not have to be entirely duplicated. Its strength is in its explicit commitment to direct democracy (affiinity group structure) and nonviolence and the wonderful pluralism of involvement that flows from that. Demilitarising Shannon is a worthy and achievable project if enough folks priroritise it and would deeply impact the U.S. war machine - practically and symbolically.

The Rossport campaign took a lot of the probable activists from prioritising NVDA at Shannon, left groups generally had an opportunistic attitude to the war (seeing it as a marketing opportunity for recruitment and profile lifting....see The Greens, see The Australian Labor Party, see the U.S. Democrats). Those who took serious NVDA at Shannon were effectively marginalised by the mainstream and the Irish left. The awful state of the anti-war movement in Ireland is not unique...it is duplicated across Britain, U.S. and Australia (who have troops deployed).

We are only at the beginning of a very long war. The war is unpopular in the absence of a visible anti-war movement. Weird times

Related Link: http://www.peaceontrial.com
author by Edward Horganpublication date Sun Jul 15, 2007 13:38author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Ciaron, and others who care,
See my latest report on US military at Shannon. We need far more activists observing, reporting and taking action at Shannon airport.

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/83435

Related Link: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/83435
author by Eddiepublication date Sun Jul 15, 2007 13:46author address author phone Report this post to the editors

There's always one little pleb who wants to spoil things and lower the tone.
Bad enough you say that nothing can be done and the yanks are here to stay.
But THEN you actualy have the nerve to accuse Ciaron of being a publicity seeker.
For YOUR information, numpty, Ciaron has devoted his life to peaceful protest in an attempt to make people (blisfully ignorant ones like you included) aware of the cold, hard, stark realaties of what goes on in this world. You are talking about a man who does not need publicity - he is well known the world over and widely respected throughout the global Peace Community. Sorry if I'm lowering the tone again, getting into conflict with some random troll, but I guess this just had to be said.

author by Uncle Sampublication date Sun Jul 15, 2007 14:19author address author phone Report this post to the editors

That you should mention that everyone should have to travel all the way to Dublin....You obviously live up there and not down around Shannon.Why the fuk should anyone have to travel to that grimy shithole Dublin and it's even shittier airport to get a flight???? But it is intresting and it confirms a little bit further that this total Bolix of warport Shannon is being hyped further and in a sinister way by the Dublin lobby of .Dublin first,second and always and fuk the Culchies in the West.
What a great way to shut down a major pain in the arse ,kill off the West and get them all to come to Dublin making them more dependant.So what better way than to do it by supporting an Anti war group???
Yea,thought so all piss and wind and no plan.As you so said yourself.You have NO PLANS and are leaving it to others to do the dirty work.Go on people I am right behind you....

author by closereaderpublication date Mon Jul 16, 2007 19:57author address author phone Report this post to the editors

I hope we're not mixing up Ciarans here. Theres seems to be two. Careful before you mistakenly bitch at the wrong one.

author by Cm back again - Nonepublication date Mon Jul 16, 2007 21:05author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Seriously in one breath you claim that you have the support of 50%+ of the population and in the next post you say you need more people to carry out observation work at the airport...if people are unwilling to spot the bleeding jets for yee then how in gods name are you goin to get sufficiant numbers to actually "close" the airport thru direct action......sorry for showing you the painful truth there Ed...any action partaken will not succed in affecting the operation of the airport for more than a few hours at best...therefore to carry out such actions is futile to begin with and to propose stinks of an attention seeking exercise..we are all very aware that the mainstrem media loves this kinda crap as demonstrated when Ciaran and the others damaged the 737...a symbolic act that achieved nothing save getting Ciaran and the rest a bit of media attention ..they sure as heck didnt stop anyone in Iraq dieing and to think that Americas entire war machine will grind to a halt with the close of Shannon is laughable.......im afraid lads and ladies this is a shambolic antiwar establishment that hasnt in fact achieved anything bar newspaper headlines (which i believe is the main motovation for many people involved i fear)..please feel free to continue in your struggle cos your really giving me a good giggle..especially as 2 of your champions of the antiwar campagin have sided with the government on the issue for gods sake..gotta love those greens and independents...strength of their convictions was amazing hahahaha.......TTFN CM

author by Apublication date Tue Jul 17, 2007 09:34author address author phone Report this post to the editors

keep on giiggling matey...anyone who would do anything radical for media attention in the most highly centralised conservative media environment in the western world wouldn't have the smarts to compromise security at shannon as the catholic workers did. Effect, from memory, was 3 U.S. companies pulling out of the country for several months only returning when assured that the level of militancy wasn't going to be maintained, irish army deployed making the airport look like the u.s. military base that it is.....a focussed anti-war campaign that ran for 3 years around the 3 trials while the broader movement collapsed in ireland and elsewhere....the unanimous acquittal of the plowshares after the state spent big bucks on trying to criminalise them.their action ws direct and it was symbolic - hardly mutually exclusive...for 4 or 5 people they were as effective as any other 4 or 5 people anywhere else that opposed this war. media tarts? methinks not!

author by Ciaranpublication date Tue Jul 17, 2007 14:18author address author phone Report this post to the editors

For clarity purposes, i am Ciaran as opposed to 'Ciaron'. I do however agree with Ciaron.

author by Cm back againpublication date Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:40author address author phone Report this post to the editors

to answer A......
A focused 3 year campagin that has achieved nothing more than spray painting an airplane and hitting another with a hachet.....if im not very much mistaken arent there Us military jets on the tramac in Shannon and not 1 antiwar person there to protest it??????The previous direct actions helped to achieve nothing more than noterity in the media...as you said yourself the broader antiwar movement has collasped in this country....and my point still stands that there are insufficent numbers to carry out a direct action that would close the airport for more than a few hours....to call for such action as Ciaron did after his court case is ultimatly futile and the only thing it actually achieved was an improvemnet in airport security....

author by Apublication date Wed Jul 18, 2007 13:04author address author phone Report this post to the editors

The airport is not secure.

The three occasions the short staffed under resourced Catholic Worker tried to break in....
1) Pitstop Ploughshares 03
2) Potato planting 03,
3) Banshee/Haloween action 04, they didn't have a problem.

Garda spent 2 million euros 06 responding to Ciaron's post acquittal call and have now packed up and left.
The other competing call at the time 06/07 was to put energy into an electoral campaign, enuff said!

author by Mmmmmmmmmpublication date Wed Jul 18, 2007 13:34author address author phone Report this post to the editors

2 million spent on security in the last 6 months of last year in response to the ploughshares acquittal call
indicates how seriously the government took their action and the threat/promise of it being repeated.

The government treats nvda as a serious threat to it's sychophantic relationship to the US of A..........that's why it
spends so much taxpayers money on it.

It's a delight that they still take the possibility of anti-war resistance emerging seriously.
If those who claimed to be anti-war took it as seriously. It would be game on!

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