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Peace Activists to meet Oireachtas Committee on Shannon
 national |
crime and justice |
news report
 Saturday December 17, 2005 17:28 by Edward Horgan - Peace and Neutrality Alliance
Let the Legislators Legislate for Peace, not War
Peace activists, Edward Horgan, Mary Kelly, Tim Hourigan, and Deirdre Morgan, will meet the Oireachtas Joint Committee for Foreign Affairs on Tuesday 20 December 2005, at 11.30 am. This is an open public meeting.
The main topic will be the US missuse of Shannon airport. Meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs
by Edward Horgan - Peace and Neutrality Alliance Saturday, Dec 17 2005, 4:21pm
Peace activists and citizens, Edward Horgan, Mary Kelly, Tim Hourigan and Deirdre Morgan, have been granted the privilege of addressing the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday next 20th December 2005 at 11.30 am, in Government Buildings, Kildare Street. We will also be making a written submission.
This is an open public meeting so we urge members of the public to attend.
The purpose of our meeting with this committee is inform the committee of the evidence we have concerning the breaches of Irish and international laws that are occurring on a daily basis at Shannon airport, and to request the members of this committee to carry out a detailed investigation of these matters on behalf of the Oireachtas, on behalf of the people of Ireland, and on behalf of all the innocent people killed in Iraq since Dáil Éireann approved a motion on 20 March 2003, allowing the US military to use Shannon airport for the purposes of making an unlawful war on Iraq.
We will be making four main points:
1. That Ireland is in breach of international law, especially the UN Charter, and Hague Convention on Neutrality, and the Geneva Conventions on War, in assisting the unlawful US war against Iraq, by allowing over 650,000 US armed troops in uniform to pass through Shannon airport for the purposes of the Iraq War, and that this has resulted in the unlawful killing of up to 100,000 Iraqi people.
2. The Irish Government has provided landing facilities at Shannon airport, and possibly at other Irish airports, for dozens of US Government and CIA aircraft that have been involved in the so-called 'rendition' of prisoners for torture in contravention of the UN Convention on Torture and the (Irish) Criminal Justice (UN Convention on Torture) Act 2000. Some of these prisoners are believed to have been tortured beyond the point of death.
3. That Irish Government ministers are in continuing breach of the Hague Convention on Neutrality, and are committing an offence against this convention, by continuing to declare that Ireland is still a neutral state, even though it is in flagrant breach of the fundamental rules of international laws on neutrality, at Shannon airport.
4. That there are very serious safety and security implications arising from the misuse of a civilian airport such as Shannon, and from the contravention of international laws by the Irish Government. These matters, especially the transit of very dangerous military cargoes and munitions through Shannon, are putting members of the public, Shannon airport employees, and other workers and residents at Shannon Town and Shannon Industrial Estate at grave risk. In addition, the decision of the Irish Government to support the war being waged by the United States, in contravention of the UN Charter, puts the Irish people as a whole, and the people of Dublin city in particular, at risk of retaliation, by those who perceive themselves to be the victims of the US-led war.
We wish to emphasise that all our endeavours over the past several years, and in attending this meeting are directed towards reinforcing the rule of law, nationally and internationally, and promoting peace by peaceful means. We accept that the laws and the United Nations are often inadequate, but we insist that the solution to these inadequacies is to reinforce and transform the laws and the United Nations, and not to operate in flagrant breach of these laws, as we believe our government is doing. We also believe laws much be applied and enforced on a priority basis, based on the priority just needs of the people of Ireland and the need for justice for humanity as a whole. Therefore, the laws should not protect human greed, or Ireland’s economic interests, or inanimate property, if by so doing, human lives are put at most serious risks, in Ireland or anywhere in this increasingly interdependent world. We believe, especially, that the life of one Iraqi child, or one American child, is equal to the life of one Irish child.
We are aware that tens of thousands of Iraqi children have been unlawfully killed, and we believe that dozens of prisoners have been ‘rendered’ for torture, and that Shannon airport has been used for these nefarious purposes.
We welcome this opportunity to inform members of the Oireachtas on these most important issues, because the Oireachtas, especially Dáil Éireann, are the primary legislators in Ireland, and also have important oversight duties as to how the laws are applied and complied with for the benefit of the all people. We will ask the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs also to investigate and inform themselves in more detail on events at Shannon airport and we will be requesting that this committee should report these matters to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and to the Irish Government, with a view to bringing the unlawful use of Shannon airport to an immediate end. We will be further recommending that the present use of Shannon airport by the US military and by the US CIA should be suspended forthwith, pending an enquiry to be conducted by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Peace to all the survivors of wars
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Comments (16 of 16)
Jump To Comment: 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Below are full copy of the Peace Activists Submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, on 20 December 2005, which can be accessed on the PANA website, www.pana.ie
http://www.pana.ie/idn/201205.html,
http://www.pana.ie/download/pa-submission-to-oireachtas.pdf,
Please note we need far more people to follow up with further initiatives such as this, in order to expose the truth of what is happening at Shannon.
A summary of these truths are that:
over half a million heavily armd US troops have passed through Shannon airport since 2002 on their way to the Wars against Iraq and Afganistan. These US troops have been responsible for the unlawful killing of over 100,000 people in Iraq, as many as 46,000 of whom were children.
in addtion, Shannon airport has been used by the CIA and the US administration to render prisoners for torture. At least 80 such flights have landed and been refuelled at Shannon in contravention of the UN Convention against Torture.
Troops that passed through Shannon have been involved in the destruction of the city of Fallujah, in which these troops used White Phosporous ammunition, and other explosive devices and chemical weapons such as Naphalm (the modern version is known as MK 77 which is a "fuel/air explosive).
Dont just stay silent, and dont just say something, do something about all this.
Here's a link to the transcript of the presentation made by Ed, Tim, Mary and Deirdre.
If you click on Print All on the left hand pane (under This Debate heading) you can can a full readable/printable transcript.
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=FOJ20051220.xml&Node=H2#H2
the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs were given a very thorough going over by us. No stone left unturned.
They have to respond to whats been brought out infront of them and on record now.
You're just lending credibility to the people who have betrayed this country over neutrality. Maybe Mary Kelly will throw an axe at them.
Best of luck indeed with this today to Ed and the rest of the peace activists. And thanks for putting this up here and responding to people's questions.
Look forward to seeing a report on the meeting.
The government needs to, at the very least, declare its hand. It must either come out in support of the war, thus justifying its assistance to the US miliatry - or be neutral on the war and thus withdraw its support to the US military.
It must stop lying to the people of Ireland and the dead people of Iraq.
Is this now the meaning and common currency of democracy in the world. LIES??
Good luck with the discussions, hopefully there will be a sympathetic ear for what you will be saying.
Congratulations on getting this far. It is a tribute to your hard work and commitment. Thanks for showing that we Irish aren't all spineless, cynical opportunists.
Best of luck with the meeting in the Dail.
The Dept of Justice is asking (quietly) for comments from the public on how Ireland is fulfilling its duties under the Convention against Torture. The advert for this appeared in a newspaper last week and the deadline expires just a week in to the New Year. Looks like a carefully chosen timescale to me, middle of the holiday rush, unlikely to be spotted and so unlikely to be taken up by people who might have troubling comments to make about Shannon and rendition - or how our Courts seem unable to make the Government abide by international law no matter what the Convention or the Constitutution say.
Maybe the Committee might recommend extending the time for comment and might publicise the opportunity with a bit of vigour. You won't even find the advert on the Dept of Justice website. And the convoluted email address given for submissions is almost guaranteed to trip up the unwary typist. See ad text copied below:
'The Dept of Justice Equality and Law Reform is currently preparing the First National Report by Ireland as required under Section 19 of the UN International Convention aganst Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment ....the Dept. now wishes to invite submissions from interested parties on the above matter. Submissions should be made in writing or by email and should be confined to the above matter.
Submissions should be made before 9 January 2006. Send to Room 304, Dept. of Justice Equality and Law Reform, Shelbourne Rd., Ballsbridge, Dubln 4 or to Prisons_Policy_INBOX@justice.ie.
Note: the text of the Convention is available electronically from www.ohchr.org/english/law.htm. The legislation which gave effect to it in Ireland is the Criminal Justice (United Nations Convention against Torture) Act 2000 (no 11 of 2000) available from www. irishstatutebook.ie or www.oireachteas.ie'.
First the location of the meeting is as follows:
The meeting will take place in Committee meeting room 3, LH 2000, Leinster
House. It will be in public session and recorded.
Second in response to Anon above,
The committee consists of Deputies:
Michael Woods (Fianna Fáil) (Chairman)
Pat Carey (Fianna Fáil)
Noel Davern (Fianna Fáil)
Tony Dempsey (Fianna Fáil)
Michael Mulcahy (Fianna Fáil
Liz O'Donnell (Progressive Democrats)
Bernard J. Durkan (Fine Gael)
Bernard Allen (Fine Gael)
Michael D. Higgins (Labour)
Ruairi Quinn (Labour)
Tony Gregory (Other)
Senators:
Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fáil)
Michael Kitt (Fianna Fáil)
Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fáil)
Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)
Brendan Ryan (Labour)
David Norris (Independent)
We hope all will attend, and that it will be a frank and politie exchange of views on these very important matters.
Thirdly in response to Saoirse above who seems to think we dont care about sadam starving millions, the Kurdish genocide, UN oil for FRAUD, etc.
We care very much about all these things, and some of us have campaigned in Ireland and worked overseas with the UN and NGOs to alleviate some the damage done by evil dictators. What have you ever done Saoirse, and whose 'freedom' have you ever promoted? We are aware that more than 70% in iraq voted dec.15, and we are delighted that the did so. Very many of them are voting so that they can get rid of US and Brittish occupation and restore their sovereignty, and freedom. It would be very foolish to suggest that they voted in favour of US occuption.
Could you ask the TDs this: What's a war?
Wow that's very soon? What questions will you ask. It will inescapabably be a whitewash but good luck anyway I'm sure you will the point across very well and not take any of their shit. Who's on the committee? .. .
http://www.dail.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/Committees29thDail/foreignAffairs.htm
no problems with sadamN starving millions ?
no problem with kurd genocide ?
UN oil for FRAUD---how many countries benefitted ?..while iraqis died.
no UN inspections...blix missed more than 500acres of nuclear facility
ask your hAGuE and useless nations some questions and educate yourselves if you're capable of any knowledge filtering in your dead braiNS.
you have a computer OBVIOUSLY.
use it.
are you aware that more than 70% in iraq voted dec.15 ?
It would be very helpful if the exact location of this meeting could be posted as there are many rooms in Government Buildings? I hope for a recheck of the building itself since it is an Oireachtas Committee?
Well done guys.
I realise that the meeting will constitute only a very tiny portion of the time and effort that you've put into this. But what an important bit.
The tide turns.
Sláinte agus síocháin,
Seán.
What was it that Utah Philips said about laws: We don't need laws. Good people don't need 'em, and bad people won't obey 'em.
It is difficult to try to guarantee peace and happiness at any level domestic or international by being legalistic about it. No matter what the law is there is always a necessity for humanity and common sense in relations between countries - just as there is in personal relations. Naturally we need just and equitable laws at an international level but even in this country we often see the most reprehensible behaviour justified by legal sophistry. Anyway I hope you get a good hearing.