Could Shannon be a target of al-Qaida? Does Shannon matter in upcoming elections?

by Paddy Thu Apr 15, 2004 13:28

If i was living in the middleast i would feel that shannon warport is a completely acceptable target. There is no excuse for using Ireland for the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Iraq and Palestine.

by Hilal Thu Apr 15, 2004 14:03

While Shannon airport is indeed part of the US/Crusader war effort against Muslim nations , it is the participation of Irish soldiers in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul, Afghanistan which puts Ireland fairly near the top of a list of US/UK allies participating in the Occupation and theft of Muslim countries.

Irish troops have been in Afghanistan now since August 2002 at first under the command of the US Central Command (centcom) , then based in Tampa Florida. CENTCOM now runs the Iraq invasion from Doha and NATO are now giving orders to Irish soldiers in Afghanistan.

It is hardly surprising that the main Crusader nations of Europe, England Spain and Italy want the rest of us to reject the Al Qaeda offer of a truce . Perhaps in the great European "democracy" the Irish people might be allowed to choose if they want to continue assisting in such evil and illegal invasions and mass murders.


PHOENIX MAGAZINE 20 December, 2002.

"IRELAND UNDER U.S. COMMAND"

That Irelands Defence Forces are currently operating under the command of the United States armed forces in Afghanistan will come as news to the irish electorate. This is despite Dail questions on the matter to the Defence Minister, Michael Smith, who failed to tell the whole story when questioned by Green Party TD, Dan Boyle, about the chain of command under which the Irish Defence Forces are working in Kabul. This is hardly surprising as an uneconomically truthful account of our current military role in Afghanistan would reveal that we are, in fact, operating under the command of the United States Central Command.
Boyle asked Minister Smith to outline "the command structure under which Defence Forces personnel are operating in Afghanistan". The Minister replied that the seven Irish officers currently deployed with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) (established under UN Resolution 1386) in Kabul, report to a Turkish major general "as Turkey is the lead nation of ISAF".
This is, strictly speaking, true. But it is not the whole truth. The UN Security Council resolution that Smith referred to encompasses a letter and annex delivered to the Council from the British Government. A close reading of this letter, incorporated into UN Security Resolution 1386, reveals that the British were the lead nation in ISAF for the first few months of the forces operation. The subsequent lead nation in ISAF became Turkey, as Smith correctly points out in his reply to Boyle.
However, the British letter and annex to resolution 1386 - which remains in force - also states that "the United States Central Command will have authority over" ISAF in Afghanistan. This , the British explained, was for reasons of effectiveness and "so that activities between the two factions do not conflict with each other and to ensure that there is no interference to the successful completion of Operation Enduring Freedom" (the typically American euphemism for its military invasion of Afghanistan).
That Tony Blair is George Bush's most vocal cheerleader in the American President's belligerent global strategy, is an irrefutable fact. That the British and the Americans between them should contrive to, firstly, lead and secondly, subordinate the UN's ISAF in Afghanistan is worrying, if hardly surprising. Neither is it any great shock to learn that the RAF escorted the Irish Army's director of operations, Gerry McNamara, to Afghanistan last May in an advance, reconnoitre mission. What is more worrying is that the UN Security Council - of which Ireland is a member - accecpted unanimously the British and US plans to control the Afghan expedition.
Disappointed with the Ministers parsimonious attitude to the detail of Irish military involvement in US war plans, Dan Boyle followed up with a more specific question. Boyle asked Smith if he could outline "the complete command structure" that Irish soldiers are part of and whom they report to after they report to the Turkish military in charge of ISAF.
Smith's response was to state that Irish officers report to the commander of ISAF (COMISAF), the Turkish major general he had already referred to, which in turn "reports to the UN Security Council through the lead nations' military authorities". The Minister for Defence again failed to mention the salient detail that the command structure in Afghanistan means that ISAF, which includes the small Irish force, reports directly to and must obey the "authority" of US armed forces there.
Irelands recent attendance at the sumit of one of NATO's barely disguised front organisations - the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EPAC) - and the Governments craven attitude to the US appropriation of the Iraqi arms document, says much about the new, oficial attitude to our neutrality. So does the vigour with which the Government and the top brass eventually rammed through the decision to join the European Rapid Reaction Force. But the fact that the Irish Government has agreed to submit our soldiers to the authority of President George W Bush - the commander-in-chief of the US armed forces - in far away Afghanistan tells it all.


***************************

by Eoin Dubsky Thu Apr 15, 2004 14:23

Ireland supported the NATO attacks against the former Yugoslavia, which acted as a catalyst for ethnic cleansing and "reverse ethnic cleansing" in Kosovo. In fairness to them the Irish peace keeping forces there now seem to be working hard on the ground to try and stop further ethnic violence, but as far as the crazies in Al Qaeda and the CIA are concerned, Kosovo belongs to the KLA and their mujahadin fighting buddies. The Irish government doesn't seem to care much, so the soldiers, both in Afghanistan and in Kosovo, will have to clean up the mess that their paymasters have helped make (providing political support in EU, and logistical support at Shannon Airport).

by Arthur Thu Apr 15, 2004 15:13

While the US warport at Shannon is heavily protected at the expense of all our taxes the rest of Ireland is wide open.

Soft targets abound, so will we go down the road of trying to paranoid ourselves and our neighbours at even more expense to the country and loss of civil liberties into an US style Homeland Dad's army? Would it not make more sense to accept the truce and breath easy ?

How much will it take to protect of fat-arsed politicians and you know it will be them and not Talbot Street that will get any extra protection.

by YES Thu Apr 15, 2004 15:31

***The Irish anti-war movement (upper and lower case) has failed to make Shannon an issue for the elections in two months time. The movement is either led by the Troskyite Left, which believes in elections only so far as they are a means to building their Political Party or is led by an Anarchist tendency which, of course, does not believe in elections at all!***

VERY TRUE

by 7of10 Thu Apr 15, 2004 15:38

http://www.zefrank.com/redalert/index_better.html

by Tim Thu Apr 15, 2004 18:32

===While the US warport at Shannon is heavily protected at the expense of all our taxes the rest of Ireland is wide open.===


I wouldn't describe the airport as 'heavily protected' to be honest. there is a visible presence of security, but they are mostly window dressing and only effective at harrassing protestors. Unfortunately they would be of little value in a terrorist attack.
The place is completely unsuitable for military operations because of presence of thousands of civilians in the town, the terrain, nearby roads, industrial estate, low wooded hills and of course, the fact that the Gardai and APO are really only suited (and resourced) to protect the airport from conventional crime, (theft, smuggling etc)

I believe that there is a threat to Shannon which is not taken seriously. Hopefully it won't come to pass, but the govt is playing a stupid game and being reckless with public safety.

Two points are worth mentioning here though.

1. The threat of terrorist attack is not the only danger to the airport. there have been a few emergencies involving military cargo planes at Shannon. If any of these got out of control, then the emergency services could not cope. I attended the consultation for the latest safety review and was told by the consultants that military use of the airport was NOT INCLUDED in the review. I also spoke to people in the emergency services in Limerick, who would be responsible for a response to a large scale catastrophe at Shannon. I was told that there would not be enough ambulances or fire engines to respond to something like a C-5 or DC-10 crashing with a cargo of explosives.

2. Military facilities should be withdrawn from Shannon because of the death and destruction Ireland IS facilitating in Iraq and Afghanistan, and also because of the potential death and destruction here from military accident or terrorist attack.

It's up to people to harrass the politicians and their canvassers. I'm just waiting for the FF/PD candidates to come to my door.
Willie O'Dea was lucky enough to call while I was out, but he might be back again escorting the local FF councillor.

by pc Thu Apr 15, 2004 18:56

my worry is not about shannon being attacked my worried aabout fallujah or even infact "coalition soldiers"....

continueing to promote the idea that we are making oursleves a target gives fuels to those who think we shouldn't depending on other countries for our protection....

the usaf should leave shannon cos its wrong/against the law

by Eoin Dubsky Thu Apr 15, 2004 19:12

The *show* of force by police at Shannon Airport is a barely conceiled racket for overtime pay. They've said as much on occasion to protesters.

Environmentalists recently visited the airport to investigate potential threats to the designated site (I won't say "protected" because the High Court refused to protect it) in which the airport is situation. They were able to move around without being interrupted or even greeted by police or security guards. I won't say here how far they got, but rest ashured that there is still ample opportunity for nonviolent direct actions to disrupt the American military use of our airport.

by Hilal Fri Apr 16, 2004 09:24

"....the 6,400-soldier foreign force in Afghanistan -- NATO's most ambitious and far-flung mission ......"

. "Afghanistan is a top priority for NATO," the alliance's Secretary-General, Japp de Hoop Scheffer, told a conference in Berlin this month. "Our security depends on Afghanistan's security. . . . If we want to win the war against terrorism, we must first win the peace in Afghanistan."

NATO boasts that 36 countries -- including 12 non-alliance nations -- are contributing troops to ISAF- (including Ireland)


Why don't people protest outside Defence Forces buildings? Department of Defence Infirmary Rd , Parkgate St, Phoenix Pk, and all other Army properties listen on page 8 of the green pages in the telehone directory? Protest at a town near you .....Mullingar, Galway, longford, Cavan, Ballyshannon, Lifford, Curragh, Gormanstown, Cork, Clonmel, Kilkenny, Kilworth, Dundalk, Limerick, Monaghan and more. Then there are the homes of senior officers. Think globally, act locally.

It is good to protest at Shannon but even small protests of just a few people outside DoD buildings/barracks would highlight something they and the government are eager to cover up- that Ireland is part of the NATO/US crusader invasion force in Afghanistan.

Dod buildings and personell are now high risk targets and should be avoided by civilians not involved in the NATO war effort against muslims, unless the civilians are obviously protesting . Government ministers are also involved and potential targets, in that they authorised this action, silently and secretly behind the backs of the Irish people, back when Uncle Sam was to be unquestioningly obeyed.

So if they think that throwing a few score cops and soldiers at Shannon when a bunch of teenage protestors turn up is going to solve their "security problem" then they have a big shock coming. There are more targets in Ireland that you could shake a stick at . Just ask Minister Smith or Crusader Joe Walshe, Knight of the Grand Cross of Spain, who live with a level of security reminiscent of the protection senior Stasi used to receive in the Former Soviet Union (at our expense).

How many young people being recruited into the Irish Defence Forces are aware that they are joining the US/UK war effort? How many young students joining the FCA ?

Accept the Al Qaeda offer of a peaceful Truce and withdraw all Irish participants immediately, to protect the people of Ireland! Anything else is a blatent failure of their SWORN duty and will surely result in a catastrophy that we will all mourn a long time.

by Dec Mon Aug 23, 2004 06:52 dec at rock dot com 32 cherrywood, loughlinstown, Co. Dublin 0868686083

photoshop by dEC.

"Can't see the Forest for the Trees???"

by murphy - Irish permanent defence forces Sun Oct 03, 2004 14:54

So, there are 7 officers in afghanistan and some US planes in Shannon. Big deal. Nobody cares about us. Britain has over 70 US military bases, the US has troops in over 140 countries. When you hippies are out moaning about all this stuff, I'm in Kosovo, helping keep people from killing eachother, and anybody who I helped over there was not helped cos I served Bush and his crew but because I was part of Irelands international commitment to peace. I dont like Bertie or Bush but please, put things in perspective. If some arab terrorist attacks us its cause you people brought lots of attention to to something insignificant. And if we get caught up in the "war on terror" it'll be my friends and I on the frontline, not you hippies, and I wont be doing it for Bush.

by Noel - None Sun Feb 27, 2005 13:20

About "some US planes in Shannon",
1) "some" is 1,464 flights in 2003 according to http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1089944&issue_id=10138
Compare that to previous years on the graph at www.voteoutffpd.com/evidence.html
2) "planes" are Warplanes carrying 115,157 foreign soldiers in 2003 according to the Indo or transporters carrying bombs, prisoners etc. The US / Irish government will never tell us how many Iraqis were killed or whats in those aeroplanes.
So it's not the "hippies" trying to spread the truth here, it's the Irish Independent, the coutries biggest broadsheet.
As a soldier / member of perm. def. forces you must know that the Geneva conventions say it is illegal to use a civilian airport as cover for a military airbase. I for one don't fancy being used a human shield when going on my hols etc through Shannon.
As a soldier you must obey your orders, even if there are no WMD in Iraq "MNF" must stay there for some other reason. As for Kosovo, you must have seen first hand how the it was external forces that provoked the KLA, the Croats etc. break up Yugoslavia. Divide and conquer ! Looks like they're not finished carving it up yet. Bosnia has it's 3 sections and their talking of splitting Montenegro from Serbia ! All for what ?
Iraq will probably be divided up too ! More borders for the UN to patrol, more segregation, more division, more animosity.
Divide and conquer is what its all about.