Greens ask Taoiseach to stop paying for US military overflights

national | miscellaneous | news report

Wednesday February 12, 2003 23:15

by Graham Caswell - Green Party

caswell at indigo dot ie

Press Release

Green Party Leader, Trevor Sargent TD, today pressed the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to say how far he will go in supporting the Bush war against Iraq.

"Already Ireland is paying for military overflights and communication charges on behalf of the US military, to the value of over a million euro a year. Regardless of the UN, Anglo American warplanes are presently bombing northern
Iraq and blatantly flouting international law. Meanwhile the Irish taxpayer is, in effect, helping to fund this aggression against a people with 16 million on the verge of starvation," said Deputy Sargent.

The Green Party Leader also asked the Taoiseach if he would approve use of nuclear weapons as planned for by the Pentagon. "Where would he draw the line? Would he, for example, tell the President of the U.S. that he is not prepared to back the use of nuclear weapons, for which the Pentagon has planned, not as retaliation for the use of chemical, biological or other weaponry, but to penetrate a bunker? Would he tell President Bush that this is a bridge too far and that he cannot support the use of weapons of mass destruction in getting rid of mass destruction?"

In reply the Taoiseach adopted a wait and see approach but refused to answer the questions. "Our line is to see what the UN Security Council will do," stated the Taoiseach.

save preference

Comments (6 of 6)

Is Ireland the only neutral country to allow landings of the U.S. Civilian Reserve Air Fleet?

Wed Feb 12, 2003 23:16

Green Party Chairman and Foreign Affairs spokesperson, John Gormley T.D., has called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen to confirm if Ireland is still the only neutral country to allow landings of the recently mobilized U.S. Civilian Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF).

The Green Party call follows a report in the Irish Times (Tuesday 11 February 2003) that the US Defence Department has, for only the second time in 51 years, assembled the Civilian Reserve Air Fleet. CRAF was first used during Operation Desert Storm. The CRAF, which comprises 47 passenger and 31 cargo jets from 11 national airlines has been mobilized to ferry thousands more troops and military equipment to the Gulf. CRAF is described as a supplement to the US Air forces strategic airlift capability.

Mr. Gormley said today, " I know that Ireland used to be the only neutral country which was part of agreements for landings of the U.S. Civilian Reserve Air Fleet. Will Minister Cowen reveal now whether this is still the case? If this is the case, as I suspect it is, then will this mean that Shannon will be even busier over the next few weeks? Will the Government continue to maintain that this has nothing to do with participation in a war?"

Mr. Gormley said that the "US Department of Defence's press release on the assembling of CRAF has stated that 'the measure is necessary due to increased operations associated with the build-up of US forces in the Persian Gulf region'" "

does that mean that the taoiseach has prepared a position for the Summit of EU heads of state

by iosaf

Wed Feb 12, 2003 23:18

to be held next Monday in Greece?
Because he has accepted the invitation, was that only to get a weekend away?

Smarmy, gombeen/comprador Ahern

by Shelta

Thu Feb 13, 2003 00:32

What a smarmy, gombeen/comprador bastard Ahern is. He has no principle whatever. Waiting to see what will happen before he moves. By allowing the U.S. war machine to use Shannon the gombeen leader, 'Bertie',(what a ridiculous name for a 'national' leader, is clearly a tool of the Anglo-American empire. Bush's imperial envoy, Haass, was here recently telling Ahern what to do. Ahern is collaborating with Bush's poodle, Blair, to consolidate British rule in the North. And yes, the so-called peace agreement in the North cannot be seen in isolation from the Anglo-American project of world hegemony. The GFA was brought about by such rightwing figures as Congressman Peter King, close friend of Gerry Adams, and a mad war hawk. Lets hope Sinn Fein has the decency to say silent on the Massacre in Iraq. By selling out Irish self-determination they have no moral standing as critics of imperialism

Gutless

by Tommy Connors

Thu Feb 13, 2003 01:00

Denis Halliday, former asst. sectretary of the U.N. today called the Irish Govt. 'gutless' for not opposing the Anglo-American war on Iraq. He said they had not the courage to oppose the U.S.

???

by Australian

Thu Feb 13, 2003 10:37

"Taoiseach" what a strange name sounds like a cross between taoism and some internet search.

Decommissioning?

by Sam 7

Thu Feb 13, 2003 11:06

Perhaps a few SAM-7s could be decommissioned? This might put off future flights.

Number of comments per page

Upcoming Events

New Events

Other Press

User Preferences

Feeds

Blog Feeds

The Saker

Public Inquiry

Human Rights in Ireland

Lockdown Skeptics

Greens ask Taoiseach to stop paying for US military overflights

Comments (6 of 6)