An Indymedia Editor presents: A short analysis of ongoing anti-war activity in Ireland within the context of global events including some of the most prominent upcoming events.

One Mother's Quest For Justice “If my son had died for a noble cause, I would be just as heartbroken...I would have cried just as many tears. A noble and just cause would be some wee consolation for my boy’s death.”

"Janey mac" sez yer man Wag "they call that a short analysis? There's a quare load of material to shift through here boy, I'm off to catch d'wedder."

While Hurricane Katrina recently devastated the lives and livelihood of many US citizens, we approach the anniversary of another disaster where many other Americans also lost their lives. Though some people are saying that the recent disaster is worse than that of September 11th, the events of that day have had a far greater impact than that of those whose lives were lost on the day itself. Indeed, four years later many lives are still being destroyed as an indirect result of what happened on that day. The barbaric attack on the World Trade Centre provided the neo-conservative Bush administration with the excuse they wanted to invade and occupy other countries resulting in the maimimg, torture and death of civilians from those countries.

Another side-effect of the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan is that the maximum overseas deployment time of the National Guardsmen was increased from 6 months to 24 months so that while the troops are killing and dieing for the interests of the neocons, other US citizens feel that they are more urgently needed back home.

However, it's not only US soldiers and the victims of US state violence that are losing their lives in the open-ended "War on Terror" which was declared in the aftermath of September 11th. Many other allies of the US have joined with them in their imperialist ventures. The most notable of these is the United Kingdom who has since the Second World War enjoyed a "special relationship" with the US. Tony Blair has been an ardent supporter of the "War on Terror" but it's not Blair or those who supported the decision to invade Afghanistan and Iraq who are dying in the conflict. It's others such as Glaswegian, Gordon Gentle who was killed in June 2004 by a roadside bomb in Basra, Iraq.

The European Court of Human Rights today held preliminary hearings on the case of an Irish woman claiming her human rights were violated when she was forced to travel to Britain for an abortion.

"The woman who has not been identified but is being called 'D' became pregnant with twins. One of these died in the womb and second was found to suffer abnormalities. D decided to have an abortion, but since Irish women are not entitled to have an abortion unless there is a serious threat to their lives, she was forced to travel to Britain. D claims that her inability to obtain an abortion in the Republic of Ireland was a breach of her human rights. The complaint is being made under two articles of the human rights convention: Article 3, that nobody be subjected to torture, in humane or degrading treatment or punishment, and Article 8, the right to respect for private and family life and of no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right.

The case could potentially result in Ireland's constitutional ban on abortion being challenged by a panel of European judges. If the court were to find in favour of D in this case, it could mean the Irish government would be forced to extend the right to abortion to women whose foetuses were found to be abnormal. The case has been brought directly to Strasbourg court, and has never been before the Irish courts, the usual approach before going to Europe. It could take a year or more for a hearing and there is a possibility the case might not be found admissible."

Some coverage on the topic from the good folk on IMC Ireland:

Back street abortions illustrate need for free, safe and legal abortion services in Ireland | Alliance For Choice condemns Bush's 'War on Women'! | Restrictive Abortion Information Legislation Jeopardises Women's Health | Day Of Action Against The Information Act | Pro Life Campaign considering legal action against Midland Health Board | Interview on the legacy of the X-case | Do You Remeber the Last Time? The Abortion Referendum of 2002 | Yes, It was No..

At the GPO: 'Pro-Lifers' Petition to *keep* Abortion Illegal 0.06 Mb