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Promoting Human Rights in IrelandHuman Rights in Ireland >>
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anti-war / imperialism |
news report
Sunday January 08, 2006 20:47
by Elaine
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Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26Decorated in true Anti-War style
Tree Of Knowledge
Don't Forget The Sanctions - This Has Been One Long War Against The Iraqi People
Truth May Be The First Casualty Of War; If Only It Were The Last
Poster On Nearby Bus Shelter
Hangin' At The Peace Camp
... meant a frosty night. Luckily we had a raging fire to gather round. Stories, songs, laughter and tears. The latter caused by the smoke from the fire which enveloped sections of the crowd whenever the wind changed direction.
The Warmth Of The Fire Was Matched Only By The Warmth Of The Welcome
Careful Now - Toasted Tootsies Are Nice - But Melted Boots Not So Pleasant
O.K. Who's Got The Marshmallows?
Makeshift Menu From The Bitchin' Kitchen?
Kettle's On - Rise And Shine
... The next morning with one hardy soul sleeping outside beside the fire. We got the fire blazing again and enjoyed coffee and cigs and a bit of banter opposite the mist shrouded Glengeely flat complex. We received gestures and greetings, most of them positive and supportive, from passing motorists. Unfortunately our time was short and we left before most of the camp were up. We bid farewell to those awake and vigilling against Ireland's continued complicity in the Iraq war.
A Cold And Frosty Start - The Smart Ones Were Curled Up In Their Sleeping Bags
How Many Penalty Points For Starting A War?
Nice Bit Of Overtime Too!
Justice Denied At Shannon - And Not For The First Time!
Bye Bye Peace Campers - Thanks For The Hospitality
Making music and dreaming dreams and camping for peace are all harmless feelgood activities, but will not have the slightest effect on U.S war in Iraq nor on the Fianna Fail party's support for that war. Ever wonder why?
Many thanks for the effort over the weekend. It is a very significant development in the regroupment of an authentic anti-war movement in Ireland.
The last place the government wants you is where you were camped, anywhere near their outta sight outta mind high crimes at Shannon.
Community building, and the rituals that go with it, are basic to building a movement that can sustain nonviolent resistance over the long haul.
As you were camped, we went to Temple Bar to hold a speakers square on Sunday afternoon. We spoke of your presence at Shannon and the issues you were confronting to the spontaneous crowd that gathered. We need an anti-war movement based on self activity, nonviolent direct action & solidarity..many thanx again for your efforts.
surely its better to do 'something' rather than nothing at all. fair play to all involved, it's lovely to see action in such a form
Events/protests/happenings at Shannon remain crucial for highlighting the misuse of this Irish civilian airport by the US war machine, so well done to all involved! By all accounts it sounds like an excellent turnout.
Shannon must remain the focus for the anti-war movement in Ireland and events such as the peace camp are crucial.
Well done ....our movement needs many such forms of action. It needs dreams, it needs creativity, it needs seriousness and dedication, it needs solidarity...it needs all kinds of active and thinking citizens making their views, and politics, and anger public....it needs organisations helping each other..... not because we believe that Bush and his cronies, or our own lot here, will somehow change their minds. Instead we need to put our trust on the people of this divided land to swell the ranks of those of us who feel enough is enough. The warport must stop...the invaders must pack up and go home.
Well done again - all of you in Shannon and the people who yesterday created such a din in Temple Bar. The more the better.
As for friends like surly - I'm surre he'll tell us soon what exactly he proposes to do.... breathless we're waitng.
Solidarity
Yes, Michael, the antiwar movement (all small letters you'll notice) needs all these things. What it doesn't need is the the IAWM.
Truth on the banks of the Shannon
The light shone by the Shannon Peace Camp fire, makes a tiny poem called Truth by American poet Henry Longfellow, written in the 1800s, appropriate at this time.
"When by night the frogs are croaking,
Kindle but a torch’s fire,
Ha! How soon they all are silent!
Thus truth silences the liar."
From an Irish perspective, the following lines should be added, also in memory of Emma and Eamonn Murphy, another peace activist who passed away last year.
No warriors bold go we’re told
To war by Shannon’s water,
No deadly weapons in the hold,
To inflict unjust slaughter.
Black-hawk warplanes shall not land
Without UN’s approval mark,
Nor torture planes with bloody hand,
Sneak through Shannon in the dark.
The torch of truth has shone a light
War and torture to expose
Yet frogs still croak by day and night
Denying victims just repose.
Of very particular concern over this Christmas period, has been the fate of several dozen prisoners who have been transferred from secret prisons known as ‘Black Sites’ in Europe to what could be described as ‘Black Hole’ prisons in non-European states such as Morocco and Egypt.
The sudden transfer of these prisoners from European countries, including Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, to prisons in non-democratic states makes it likely that they will undergo further torture. This particular group of prisoners, probably several dozen, may simply disappear after torture, in order to avoid 'embarrassing' the US and its 'rendition' allies, including Ireland. This means that these prisoners may either be executed or held in secret custody for the rest of their lives.
The International Red Cross, and the United Nations should investigate this particular problem, and insist immediately that the US complies with international laws and conventions by producing a full list of all such prisoners, and by providing the Red Cross and Red Crescent with immediate and continuing access to all of these prisoners.
It is dreadful to know, or to believe, that prisoners have been tortured over this Christmas period with our Government's assistance, or due to our Government’s failures to take even basic preventative and investigative measures. Some, of these prisoners are being unlawfully tortured as you read this, and some have already been killed, and others will be killed over the comming weeks.
Happy New Year for some,
and a very sincere thanks to all who continue to shine lights against the darkness of lies, torture and war.
Edward Horgan
The US invaded Iraq in defiance of the UN Security Council.They defied the millions who marched in the streets in the US and throughout the world including 100,000 who marched in Dublin. Despite the deaths of thousands of Iraqis and more than 2000 troops and continuing violence the US remain and will continue to remain in Iraq.
The Anti-War movement has failed utterly to affect events in any way.
I am anti-war but I do not believe anyone can influence the US government in any way nor prevent their conquest.
I give up.
The Shannon Peace Camp is a futile gesture.
There is not a chance in hell that Michael McDowell is going to order Gardai to inspect US aircraft at Shannon.
I know it.
You know it.
We failed to help the Iraqi people and we will continue to fail.
Let's give it up.
George Galloway has.
He's on Big Brother
It's hard to believe you are a genuine anti-war activist, if that's your attitude. If you think things couldn't have turned out worse, you should look at Vietnam. The US government carpet-bombed rural areas intensively for years, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Compared to the bombing of Cambodia, US policy in Iraq has been almost humane (although not by any objective standard of course).
This is hardly because Cheney and Rumsfeld are more compassionate than Nixon and Kissinger. But they were put under intense pressure by the strength of anti-war feeling in their own country and abroad.
We might not have been able to prevent this war, but we can still prevent the next one
Timothy,
If everyone adopted your attitude we would all stay in bed all day, and die of depression. We dont and we wont. Because of revelations initiated by peace activists at Shannon and others, Condolesa Rice was forced to come to Europe and try to explain why the US was breaking international laws on torture etc. The US congress has rejected Bush's attemts to redefine torture, and the US if being gradually forced to comply with international norms and laws. This will take time but progress is being made. Several important allies such as Spain have deserted the US, and the costs of the Iraq war are now likely to reach over one Trillion dollars, making it likely that the US is already begining to loose its predominant position in the global economy. Iraq is turning out to be a huge own goal from a US perspective.
In the long-term international law will be strengthened and peace and justice will be promoted as a result of the protests and the peace activism that has resulted from the Iraq war. Dont expect instant results, but dont give in to despair either. In the 1970s people like you believed that South Africa would remain a white rascist regime, but local and international pressure did bring change.
Modern communications and scepticism towards all we are being told by our Governments makes the exposure of the truth more likely in the long term. Indymedia, and the internet, are very important means of defeating lies and injustice.
Peace can be better promoted by the gentle light of many 'truth' candles than by the destructive flashes of white phosporous or nuclear bombs.
The US and its allies, including Ireland must also not be allowed evade their responsibilities for the damage and deaths in Iraq. In a letter to the Irish Independent 3 Jan 2005, I estimated that Ireland's proportion of the Iraqi war costs would be in excess of €100 Billion.
No one can repay the 100,000 innocent lives lost, but we must all continue our efforts to ensure that Ireland does not participate in such unlawful wars into the future.
We must have hope, but we must also take action, every day.
Methinks we agree on almost all of the needs of our movement...delightful. Whether the letters are lower case or caps....can we leave that issue to be sorted out after the invaders are kicked out? After Shannon ceases to be a warport? After all of us together make 2006 a year to remember? I can smell the wind changing - the invaders will leave Iraq defeated.
I am old enough to have taken part in the anti-Vietnam demos....and experienced enough to have participated on the ground and seen how the anti-nuclear movement turned the tide on Carnsore almost 25 years ago....
Arguments among us are the bloodlife of politics. What we need right now though is unity in action of all types - everywhere - involving all possible participants.
Hope you agree
Solidarity
We all know how old you are at this stage Michael. I feel old too. Especially after the last few years.
Of course we should keep ourselves focussed on the main issue at hand. Who is arguing against that? Agreed. Fine. Doing that anyway.
My problem with you (and it was Sinead ni Brion (since joined the SWP) and Raymond Dean before you) is that there's always one non-SWP popping up willing to push the IAWM as the point of unity. What's wrong with us all? Why can't we be happy within the IAWM? Alternative version: let begones be begones, let's ignore the destructive role played by the IAWM/SWP as if it was something that happened years and years ago. Some of us don't have short memories, not because we focus on these things and become bitter - but because we live and learn from our mistakes. The IAWM is discreditted among antiwar activists for a reason.
As for yourself, sure. Unity. Peace and goodwill. Onwards and upwards comrade.
In Solidarity.
some coverage of the protest in Dublin anyway, have not seen much else around.
Joe,
The IAWM is NOT the point of unity of anti-war activity - not for me anyway and not for quite a number of people in the IAWM who're not in the swp. The IAWM is only one of the components of a movement that is growing and which is likely to grow even further. What the swp did or did not do, recently or in the more distant past, is not my direct concern. They can answer for their actions themselves.
What I am arguing for, as part of those of us who have a vision of a large active anti war movement, for that iawm to be independent of and autonomous from political parties, be they large or small, or Unions or any other bodies like the Church.
I think comrade we can agree on that.
Solidarity
I can agree with 90% of what you're saying.
A problem remains with your desire to see the IAWM grow to include everybody. Why should we look towards the IAWM? This was tried before and ended with a split down the middle in the IAWM when highly respected and independent antiwar activists were systematically undermined by the SWP. Look at the list of people who left the IAWm steering committee in one block because of the undemocratic and antagonistic behaviour of the SWP: Tim Hourigan, Harry Brown, Fintan Lane, Dominic Carroll, Laurence Vize...the list goes on. Disaffiliations etc etc. If the SWP were unable to work with these people then, what makes you think it would be any different now? I'm not joining that roundabout my friend.
I wish you and other IAWM members well but don't make the mistake of thinking that the IAWM will ever be a point of unity. It missed its chance.
Solidarity.
Dominic Carroll was never on the IAWM steering committee. Fintan Lane was the PRO while Laurence was their webmaster. Check out part of the debate here Michael:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=63563
Don't want to bore people - my point is not that it's the IAWM that is going to necessarily grow - it's the iawm - all of us active in actions against the war, against the use of Shannon, against the complicity of the willing coalition in our back yard.
Good luck to the people who left - and welcome to the people who are joining. Chomsky will be here in a few days - can we join our forces to support that meet? The 3rd anniversary of the invasion is coming up. Can we work together to makeour voices heard? Cindy Sheehan et al brought about quite a lot of publicity. Can we build on that?
The Shannon Peace camp was a a great creative idea - can we unite and plan more actions like that one? And if the SWM activists decide to take part so much the better.
Will not conitnue this discussion any further right here - other friends can take it on.
Solidarity
Timothy, if you are not just a bored staffer at the US embassy who is trying desperately to demoralise people, you are still a tiresome doom monger who refuses to believe that political action can achieve anything. Since this view is demonstrably false, in fact completely laughable, there is no point trying to convinve you any more. The thought that we haven't convinced you will cause me no worry whatsoever.
Political action did not prevent the Iraq War.
It didn't work.
For someone who claims not to believe in political action you are certainly using up a lot of energy to tell us of the futility of it.
Joe was right - just go away and leave the rest of us in peace (or "crawl away and die" as he put it). You have nothing positive to contribute. I have no interest in trying to convince you, since you are determined not to be convinced. I would say it's 60% likely you're some bored staffer at the American embassy who wants to discourage people, but even if you're not, you obviously have nothing worthwhile to contribute, just incessant gloom and misery.
Hi everyone! Peace and warm wishes (and NEW YEARS' GREETINGS!!) to the peace campers and everyone else here and there!
Notice: Public Meeting concerning my judicial review and what legal options remain -- At Teacher's Club, 36 Parnell Sq. West, Dublin 1, @ 2 pm, Room 8, Saturaday 14 Jan 06 (see: http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=73728 )
Now in reply to Timothy -- it would have taken a miracle to stop the war from starting. Indeed, the Iraq war never really stopped since 1991; it only changed gears once or twice. The warmakers are talking about a war that won't end in their lifetimes, and I guess they could be right.
Torture -
British Foreign Office documents reveal US and UK complicity in torture and raise further questions on the use of Shannon by the CIA. By David Shanks...
http://www.villagemagazine.ie/article.asp?sid=1&sud=10&aid=1028
All four British Foreign Office documents-
In this week's Village, we exclusively publish British Foreign Office documents which reveal American and British complicity in torture. In the magazine, two of the documents are published, here are all four of them......
http://www.villagemagazine.ie/article.asp?sid=1&sud=10&aid=1026