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Government action on Shannon contravenes Defence Act

category national | miscellaneous | news report author Wednesday January 08, 2003 17:54author by Cathy Flanagan` - Labour Partyauthor email head_office at labour dot ieauthor address 17 Ely Place, Dublin 2author phone 6784700

Labour's spokesperson on Foreign Affairs condemns the Government action on Shannon and explains how the current situation contravenes the Defence Act.

Labour Party Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Michael D. Higgins TD, has paid tribute to the bravery of the those protesting at the presence of US aircraft in Shannon airport. Further, with specific reference to the 1954 Defence Act, Deputy Higgins described recent government statements on Shannon as "one untruth followed by another.

It is simply untrue to say that the current use of Shannon by American forces represents normal activity. Section 317 of the 1954 Defence Act states that:

'(1) No person shall, save with the consent in writing of a Minister of State, enter or land in the State while wearing any foreign uniform.
(2) No person shall, save with the consent in writing of a Minister of State, go into any public place in the State while wearing any foreign uniform.
(3) A Minister of State may from time to time direct that subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall not during a specified period apply in respect of any particular class (defined in such manner as he thinks fit) of persons, and in that case the said subsections shall not apply during that period in respect of that class of persons.

Yet the Taoiseach, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and government have continually refused to answer the following questions: Has permission been given to the hundreds of uniformed United States soldiers in Shannon every day and night in recent times?

Has the Minister responsible sought to establish whether their presence is in pursuance of any UN resolution in preparation for a pre-emptive strike?

In the Dail, on national radio and television, and in the media the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Defence, and the Taoiseach have sought to deceive the public on these issues. No answers on the questions have been forthcoming.

The only conclusion is that in the name of the Irish people we are becoming passive accomplices in preparation for war. Irish citizens have been forced to establish a peace- camp at Shannon. It is as worthy of our admiration as is the government's deceit a source of shame to them and all who support them.

Related Link: http://www.labour.ie

Comments (1 of 1)

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Question.
author by iosafpublication date Wed Jan 08, 2003 18:17author email iosaf at europe dot comauthor address barcelonaauthor phone

Would the Irish Labour party support a campaign to allow only humanitarian Food Aid to be transported through Shannon?

During the Afghanistan war, the USAF dropped approx. 40,000kg of Rice on the north of Afghanistan.

If the estimate of a thousand flights so far through Shannon made during the ongoing Dubski trial, then that would be 40kg of rice per flight.

Mr Ahern *offered* Shannon to the USAF in the wake of the September 11th terrorist event of 2001.

Would the Labour party now "take the lead" in arguing that our constitutional obligation to support humanitarian and peaceful resolution of conflict may best be accomodated with our natural wish to assist our friends the American and British peoples in their War against Iraq, a War which we have been told is meant to guarantee peace for all and ensure a "just" and democratic government for the Iraqi people?

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/23315

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