Anti-War Ireland bulletin, 15/4/04

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report Thursday April 15, 2004 22:22 by Fintan Lane - Convenor, Anti-War Ireland irishanti-war at excite dot com 087 1258325

ANTI-WAR IRELAND bulletin, 15/4/04

Anti-War Ireland is a broad-based, and inclusive, national alliance of independent anti-war groups. It is explicitly anti-racist and anti-sexist.

Convenor: Fintan Lane (087 1258325)

PROs: Caoimhe Butterly (087 2134160), and Tim Hourigan (087 9777703).

CONTENTS

Introduction

Protest at US embassy, Dublin, 6.30pm on Friday, 16 April. Organised by Fairview Against the War/Anti-War Ireland.

Public meeting, Teachers' Club, Parnell Square, Dublin, 3pm on Sunday, 18 April. Speakers will include Harry Browne, Aisling Reidy (ICCL), the Pitstop Ploughshares, and Mary Kelly (chair).

Protest at US embassy, Dublin, 6pm on Monday, 19 April. Organised by the IAWM.

Pitstop Ploughshares vigil at Israeli embassy, Dublin, 20 April.

Cork protest in solidarity with Iraqi people, assembling at 7pm at Daunt Square, on Thursday, 22 April. Organised by Cork Anti-War Campaign/Anti-War Ireland.

Anti-War Ireland organising meeting. Meeting to discuss the forthcoming AWI national conference. This meeting will be held in Limerick on Saturday, 24 April - for information phone Fintan Lane at 087 1258325.


INTRODUCTION

Over the past week or so, the violence and brutality of the US occupation of Iraq has been fully exposed. The US military onslaught on Falluja has resulted in the deaths of more than 600 people, the majority of whom were almost certainly civilians. This collective punishment was supposedly in retaliation for the killing and mutilation of four private security contracters in the city, but it is clear that the real point was to use overwhelming force to indicate who is boss in the 'new' Iraq. In the process hundreds of innocent men, women and children have been killed. This is an outrage.

Elsewhere, the US faces an armed uprising of Shia muslims who have clearly had enough of the continuing occupation of their country. This rising has finally and savagely exposed the lie circulated by the Bremer regime that the resistance in Iraq was composed entirely of "former regime loyalists" and "foreign fighters". It is now clear that the opposition to the occupation is growing among ordinary Iraqis, both Sunni and Shia.

In Ireland, Bertie Ahern and his government continue to facilitate the US killing machine at Shannon airport. Indeed, the extent of Irish complicity was underlined recently when the Evening Herald published photographs of US military aircraft landing at Baldonnel to avail of refuelling facilities there. Ireland remains a cog in the US war machine.

Anti-War Ireland believes that a key aim of the anti-war movement in this country must be the ending of Irish government complicity. We must disengage this State from the US war machine, and we must make clear the extent of Irish opposition to the belligerence of the Bush administration.

Anti-War Ireland is organising a national conference for 15 May to re-organise and re-mobilise the anti-war movement in Ireland. Details will be posted closer to the date. A meeting to organise for this conference will be held in Limerick on Saturday, 24 April. All welcome. Phone 087 1258325 for details.

Anti-War Ireland is also building for a large protest to be held at Shannon airport on Friday evening, 25 June, to 'welcome' the warmonger George W. Bush as he arrives in Ireland. We intend to meet and greet as he arrives, to voice our objections to his adminstration's actions in Iraq and elsewhere (such as his recent support for Israeli land-grabbing in Palestine), and simultaneously protest at the misuse of an Irish civilian airport for US military purposes. We are hoping and expecting buses to travel from all over Ireland, and beyond, for this demonstration.

In the meantime, the following are some upcoming anti-war activities. (If you wish to include an event/notice in future bulletins, please email the relevant information to [email protected].)



PROTEST AT US EMBASSY

Dublin, 6.30pm on Friday, 16 April. Organised by Fairview Against the War/Anti-War Ireland. This picket is intended to highlight Irish anger at the massacres currently underway in Iraq. Hundreds of Iraqi civilians have been killed in Falluja alone. We need as many people as possible to turn up for this picket. Be there! Don't allow Bush and his cronies feel that we are complicit by our silence. Make your voice heard against the killing of innocent civilians by this illegal occupation.



PUBLIC MEETING

Teachers' Club, Parnell Square at 3pm on Sunday, 18 April.

On 'Holocaust Martyrs Remembrance Day', Fairview Against the War/Anti-War Ireland are holding a meeting to discuss whether we are now living in, or may soon be living in, a fascist era. What is fascism and what distinguihes it from democracy? We shall explore these issues by examining the behaviour of the institutions of civil society.

Harry Browne (formerly of the Irish Times) will talk about the control of the media and the subversion of a free press.

Aisling Reidy (director of the Irish Council of Civil Liberties) will discuss the erosion of civil liberties in the post-9/11 world.

The Pitstop Ploughshares have been invited to share their experiences of the isolation of activists who have dared to cross the line - their persecution by the right, and desertion by much of the organised left.

Mary Kelly will chair the proceedings.



VIGIL OUTSIDE ISRAELI EMBASSY

Dublin April 20 - All Night Vigil at Israeli Embassy on Eve of Vanunu's Release
by Dublin Catholic Worker & Pit Stop Ploughshares
[email protected] phone: 087 918 4552


Support All night Vigil at Dublin's Israeli Embassy April 20 -21

The international nonviolent movement against Weapons of Mass Destruction readies itself to welcome Mordachii Vanunu's deliverence from an Israeli prison. Vanunu has spent just short of 18 years in prison following his kidnapping by the Mossad in Rome. Vanunu exposed Israel's nuclear weapons program.

There will be an all night vigil outside the Israeli Embassy 122 Pembroke Rd. Dublin D4. *Begins Tuesday April 20 7.30 pm *Multi faith service 8.30 pm *Walk to Dail Wed 11 am More info 087 918 4552

*Bring wet gear. sleeping bag, placards & banners related to Israel's WMD & Vanunu. If possible text 087 918 4552 if you can commit to doing part of the vigil.

April 21, 2004.
If you can believe the word of the state of Israel, that is the day that Mordechai Vanunu will be released from prison for the crime of telling the world the truth about his government's secret nuclear weapons program. The date is just five months short of his full 18-year sentence.

On the eve of this release the Israeli State has announced restrictions to make Vanunu's existence impossible.

Vanunu can be rearrested if he
-approaches within 100 metres of an embassy.
-approaches within 300 metres of a national boundary
-moves to another city without receiving permission from the police
-communicates with any foreign nationals or media.
- Vanunu will also be denied a passport for an initial 6 months or allowed to leave the country

In January, it was reported that Israeli officials were considering various conditions and restrictions once Vanunu is released. On February 24, Prime Minister Sharon and other Israeli officials had a meeting to discuss their options. They reportedly decided that keeping Mordechai in administrative detention would likely not pass a High Court review, but they do plan to impose restrictions, including not allowing him to leave Israel.

But this is absurd. Mordechai Vanunu has been locked away from the world for almost 18 years. He has no more secrets to reveal and is not a threat to the security of the state of Israel.

There are of course many unknowns, but the international campaign is moving forward with plans for Mordechai's release, while carefully considering the different possibilities that might occur. 95 internatiohnal activists will be travelling to Israel to welcome the release. State restrictions will deny direct contact with a "freed" Vanunu.

Public pressure has brought important changes over the years. In 1998, pressure from his supporters around the world pried open the lock on Mordechai's isolation cell after his first eleven and one half years in solitary confinement. Israel once claimed that the transcript of Vanunu's closed door trial was so sensitive it could never be made public. But several years ago, bending to public pressure, it released most of the trial record and permitted the Knesset's first open debate on nuclear secrecy. And although Israel still officially denies that it has a nuclear arsenal, government censors are allowing increased coverage of the once taboo topic in Israel's mainstream media.

If the Israeli government doesn't unconditionally release Mordechai Vanunu, we will need your help to apply maximum pressure and demand that they do so.

http://www.vanunu.com



CORK DEMONSTRATION IN SOLIDARITY WITH IRAQI PEOPLE

Orgainsed by Cork Anti-War Campaign/Anti-War Ireland. Assemble at Daunt Square at 7pm, on Thursday, 22 April. Bring home-made placards or other symbols of your opposition to the war in Iraq. All welcome! Further information, phone 087 1258325.