Ed Horgan calls for armed Gardai to counter Al Qa'ida threat

national | anti-war / imperialism | other press Saturday October 29, 2005 19:05 by R. Isible

According to the Irish Independent

Ed Horgan (retired commandant Irish Army) has, according to a report in the Irish Independent, called for armed Gardai to patrol the streets to counter the threat of Al Qaeda.

(c) Irish Independent, Willie Dillon Oct 29th 2005
Gardai 'must react to al-Qa'ida threat'

ARMED gardai should be patrolling the streets of Dublin because of the threat of al-Qa'ida attacks, it has been claimed.

The warning of possible al-Qa'ida bombs came from a prominent anti-war activist and also from an Irish-born terrorism expert at St Andrew's University in Scotland. The two say the growing number of Iraq-bound US troops using Shannon airport is the reason for the threat.

Former Irish Army officer and UN peacekeeper Edward Horgan said armed gardai should now be

patrolling the capital's streets and train stations to prevent a terrorist attack.

The pair make their claims as the number of US soldiers refuelling at Shannon this year is set to double to over 300,000.

Most, if not all, the American soldiers fighting in Iraq now touch down at the airport on their way to and from the Iraqi conflict.

Ireland is now the only country providing such facilities.

And Dr John Horgan from St Andrew's said the high troop numbers mean we are "very clearly indirectly supporting the war in Iraq".

He warned Ireland is vulnerable and we can no longer afford to be complacent.

However a Government spokesperson insisted there is no evidence of a specific terrorist threat against Ireland.

Willie Dillon