Labour Leader calls for suspension of Shannon facilities

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday January 10, 2003 16:42 by Cathy Flanagan - Labour Party head_office at labour dot ie 17 Ely Place, Dublin 2 6784700

Labour Leader, Pat Rabbitte has called for the immediate suspension of Shannon facilities and has requested that Dail representatives be given a full report on the facilities available for U.S. troops and equipment in transit.

The Leader of the Labour Party, Pat Rabbitte TD has urged the government to take a much more proactive role in efforts to avoid what he described as ‘a potentially catastrophic war over Iraq’. Deputy Rabbitte also called on the Taoiseach to make a full statement outlining what facilities had been made available at Shannon Airport for American troops and equipment in transit to the Gulf and said that any such facilities should be withdrawn until such time as the Dail had been given an opportunity to consider the matter.

“It is now more than two months since the United Nations inspectors entered Iraq on foot of a Security Council resolution. While some dissatisfaction has been expressed by Hans Blix at the content of the dossier submitted by Iraq, two months of intensive searches and inspections have revealed nothing incriminating and certainly nothing that would justify a bloody war.”

“Despite this the preparations for war continue with growing intensity each day, (and there are now manifest tensions between the Bush and Blair governments and between the Pentagon and the arms inspectors) which must lead one to conclude that the political and military leaders of the United States have decided that there is a predetermined outcome to this process and that they intend to go to war, regardless of what the UN inspectors conclude.”

“There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein is a brutal dictator, who has been guilty of heinous crimes against his own people. There is little doubt that Iraq and the world in general would be a better place without him. However, one has to balance the perceived threat to peace posed by Saddam remaining in office, against the death and destruction – especially for the Iraqi people – that will be the inevitable result of a war.”

“The United Nations document leaked this week painted a bleak picture of what was likely to happen. It warned of a society of 26 million reduced to rubble and the destruction of the national food distribution network currently administered by the Iraqi government to sustain 16 million people. The outbreak of disease in epidemic if not pandemic proportions was likely, the document warned. It added that an estimated 3.03 million people, including 2.03 million already malnourished children under the age of 5 would face starvation and require therapeutic feeding. As many as half a million civilians would require medical treatment as a result of war.”

“We cannot accept the inevitability of war, especially if these are to be the consequences. Ireland has been a largely silent spectator on the world stage against the background of this terrifying drift towards war. We may no longer hold a seat on the United Nations Security Council but that does not mean that we can play no role. The Irish government through its membership of the EU and the General Assembly of the United Nations should be seeking common cause with other countries who wish to see war averted. In taking this position, the government would be acting in accordance with the wishes of the Irish people reflected in an opinion poll published last October, which showed a strong national consensus against war.”

“Unfortunately not only has the government been silent on the world stage, it appears to have been quietly cooperating with the huge military build up for war. There have been alarming reports of a significant increase of U.S. military traffic through Shannon, while newspaper photographs have appeared showing U.S. troops in Shannon wearing full battle dress, in apparent breach of Section 317 of the Defence Act 1954.”

“No information has been offered to the Dail as to the extent of the facilities being provided at Shannon. Facilities that might be made provided to a friendly nation in a time of peace should not automatically be available during war or the build up to war. It is essential that the Dail be now given a full report and allowed to debate the matter in full. Pending such a debate, these facilities should be withdrawn while the government makes a real effort to help avert this war.”

“The prospect of war is especially unconscionable without the UN weapons inspectors being given time and space to complete their tasks and UN sanction being secured for whatever response is then merited.”