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Army Officer to Return UN Medals to Government
 national |
anti-war / imperialism |
press release
 Tuesday September 23, 2003 17:43 by PANA & MAMA
Former UN Peace-keeper objects to proposal to send Irish troops
The retired Army Commandant who took the Irish government to the high court, opposing it's involvement in the war on Iraq has decided to return his medals to the government in disgust at the proposal to send Irish troops to help the occupation. Army Officer to Return UN Medals to Government
while
An Taoiseach declares “Neutral” Ireland may send troops to Iraq
In November 1st, 2000 Edward Horgan, retired army commandant, and United Nations Peacekeeper, wrote an article in the Irish Times on the risks to Irish neutrality in which he undertook to return to the Irish Government, his military medals awarded by the United Nations, and the Irish Defence Forces, if our government took a decision to end Irish neutrality. On the 20 March 2003, the Irish Government ended Irish neutrality by participating in the war against Iraq. In this unlawful and unjust war, at least 30,000 people have been killed.
Commandant Horgan now feels obliged to honour his commitment to hand back these medals and certain items of military uniform as a symbolic gesture, in protest against the loss of Irish neutrality. It is also intended to highlight the cowardly actions of our government, in abandoning the disadvantaged peoples of the world and joining in political and military alliances that are intended to perpetuate global injustice and inequality.
The medals and other items of uniform will be handed back at Government Buildings, Merion St., Dublin, on Saturday 27 September during the peace demonstration, organised as part of the Global Day of Action against war. They include, the UNFICYP medal awarded for UN peacekeeping services in Cyprus in 1966, the UNEF medal awarded for UN peacekeeping service in the Middle East (Sinai) in 1973, the Irish Defence Forces Service Medal with bar, awarded for 22 years service, and most importantly, the United Nations special Medal for Peace awarded to all military peacekeepers on the occasion of the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to the United Nations in 1988. The items of uniform being discarded include the officer’s tunic used by Commandant Horgan in his last year of service in 1986, which includes silver parachuting wings, awarded in recognition of paratrooper training completed in 1884, unit insignia for HQ Cavalry Corps, and the Military College, indicating his last posting as a lecturer at the Command and Staff College, Cavalry Corps officer’s Glengarry cap, and United Nations Blue Beret.
The following statement has been issued by Commandant Horgan:
While I have held each of these items as treasured reminders of my service to the people of Ireland and to United Nations peacekeeping, I feel obliged in conscience to return them because of the dishonourable conduct of the Irish government in abandoning Irish neutrality, contrary to international law, by participating in the war against Iraq in March 2003, thereby actively assisting in the commission of crimes against humanity. Today, 27th September 2003, the war is still in progress, Ireland is still participating in this war, by facilitating the passage of US troops and munitions through Ireland, and by providing a de facto US military base at Shannon airport. Our participation in this war against Iraq, and this loss of Irish neutrality has not been approved by the Irish people, and poses a very serious threat to international peace and global justice.
Irish neutrality and our commitment to global justice must be restored. The smaller countries of the world must reform and improve the UN, and support UN collective security. We must rein in the dogs of war let loose by terrorism, and by states operating beyond the control of international law. International jurisprudence is vital to protect the majority of the world’s individuals against terrorists on the lunatic fringe, and against the abuse of power by super-states.
In the meantime, An Taoiseach has just announced in the US that Ireland is considering offering Irish troops to the UN mission in Iraq. He used the justification that Ireland as a neutral country has a tradition of supporting United Nations mandated peace operations. This announcement by Mr Ahern contained two very inaccurate statements that could come very close to deliberate falsification. Firstly, he has stated, or strongly suggested, that Ireland is still a neutral country in spite of the fact that Judge Nicholas Kearns found in the High Court in April 2003 that Ireland had contravened the Hague Convention and customary international laws on neutrality by allowing US troops and munitions to pass through Ireland on their way to the Iraq war. The Irish High Court effectively found that Ireland was no longer neutral. It is inconceivable that An Taoiseach is not aware of this judgement because he, as Taoiseach, was one of the principle defendants in the case taken by Edward Horgan, as Plaintiff, against, An Taosieach, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, and Transport, the Government of Ireland, Ireland and the Attorney General, as defendants. Secondly, the suggestion that Ireland has a long tradition of supporting the United Nations, blatantly ignores the fact that in March 2003, Ireland shamefully failed to support a United Nations approach to the crisis in Iraq and backed an illegal war by US led forces against Iraq.
The war in Iraq has now entered classic guerrilla warfare, and all allies of the US are likely to be targeted by Iraqi resistance groups. The UN has already been bombed twice in Baghdad with serious loss of live. If Irish troops are committed to Iraq, under any guise, many Irish soldiers are likely to be killed on a mission that will not be peacekeeping, but will be supporting the US war and the US occupation of Iraq.
INFORMATION
Edward Horgan 086 2380911
email: edward_horgan@hotmail.com edward.horgan@ul.ie
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Comments (18 of 18)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18why not give back your pass port?
For a five minute soundbite on RTE. Big deal!He has been serving a foregin govt anyway.One that is socialist,autocratic and generally incompetant.Its called the UN.
You only need to press the "publish" button once ...
I did...This is an occuring problem methinks with my server.
Hopefully this wont just become a soundbite and will at least be in the weekend papers. Though many of us protest our gestures may seem empty, this gesture cannot be seen as empty. He cannot be ignored as a socialist crank or bolshey, it is important that someone of his standing is making such a statement.
Not to diminish others but the general public who need to be swayed are more likely to question events when this sort of protest takes place because its a person who they believe they should respect and trust for services for the state and for peace. This needs coverage so anyone who knows journalists should sell them the idea over pints on friday.
My only question is if he really did parachute training in the eighteen hundreds i can only wonder what he jumped from, a cavorite powered airship perhaps crewed by mr wells.
Over 150,000 people who had well founded objections to the war and marched against it agree with him!
He should consider returning his medal etc. to the President who is chief of the armed forces rather than handing it in to government buildings where it will achieve a much lower profile.
Good going Ed. Good timing Ed. Ahern is in the U.S. offering Irish cannon fodder to internationalise the bodycount. First they wanted the runways and then they wanted....
Speaking on Newstalk 106 Ed Horgan an outspoken anti-war campaigner is to hand back his medals some of which he recieved for U.N peacekeeping in Cyprus and another as part of the Nobel Peace prize in 1998. The former Army commandant said he will also hand back his army tunic.
Mr.Horgan said with or without a U.N mandate Irish troops should not participate in the occupation of Iraq. He also urged people to make indiviual choices and urged regime change at home he said Irish people are not as naive as they were in the last election.
Said today on the Joe Duffy show today.That the man is a disgrace to his uniform,the Irish army,and the memories of all Irish personel who served in the UN.Having heard the man speak today,I am amazed that he ever reached such a high rank in the Irish defence forces.He can not put over coherently one arguement.Without going into sweeping statements,inconclusive arguements ,or emotionlism.If he was so much against war,why did he join an organization whose main job is killing other people?
It takes much more courage to stand up against the status quo than to join the herd.
Good man, Ed.
Stick to your principles.
The irish army's main job is not to kill other people. Yes they are trained to kill as a last resort but they are peacekeepers first and foremost. This man is a disgrace to the uniform and the 84 soldiers who have died on UN missions overseas. How can he be agianst a peacekeeping force being sent to Iraq to try and stop the bloodshed? It just doesnt make any sense
As someone who has seen active service and the results of violence, I salute Ed Horgan for his stance.
Bush and his cronies, most of whom have never served in the military, just want other countries to provide the cannon fodder. This is to reduce the number of body bags coming back to the States, damaging his re-election hopes. At the same time he is unwilling to relinquish military control.
Let's not forget too, that when his daddy was in charge of the CIA, the USA mined the harbours of Nicaragua, in defiance of the UN. Now they want the UN to carry the can for their latest mess.
Those who are now condemning Ed Horgan for returning his medals are not representative of ordinary soldiers, people who are expected to lay their lives on the line for idiots like Bush.
that have systematically defiled and undermined the principles of democracy, and of Western Civilisation. Ed Horgan appears to have served the interests that underpin the Irish State's right to consider itself one of that family of supposed democratic nations of Western Civilisation.
He is thus respected and saluted by many of varying hues.
including myself.
"The United States is a 225-year rolling revolution. We are the embodiment of the Enlightenment. If we're true to those principles, then it's a foreign policy of generosity, humility, engagement, and force where needed. But as a last resort."
qoute: General Wesley Clark.
http://www.draftclark2004.com/
- listen to the soldiers.
- listen to the poets.
- listen to the mothers.
It is time to move on from the decisions that prompted the war in Iraq. The war has happened already and can be debated forever. Whats important is that the troops are there now and the country needs to be rebuilt. People cried out when civilians were bombed and killed during the conflict but you would now turn your back on them and refuse them the opportunity to start again. Do you want the Americans and British to pull out? Fine, then what? Have the country descend into anarchy with no government and no laws. It is time to wake up people and stop pointing fingers, whether the reasons for war were justified or not that is all in the past, we must move on
Iraq always had laws, they are written in the Koran and are recited every four hours.
Thus the descent you would dare describe to Anarchy, is rather something else of which you know dangerously little.
The laws of Islam while noble are not enough to hold a country together after a war which has changed the country so radically. Do you think that if the coalition troops pull out that the pro-Saddam fighters will stop the fighting? Of course they will not. The country needs to be secured for the people of Iraq so that they can continue with their lives, for a government to be set up, a government that does not oppress its people and brutalise its dissidents.
No boddy 'needs' a government
How can you possibly believe that? Of course we need government, it is a basic part of human civilisation. I could not concieve how a country can function without a government