Ahern is accused of being Bush’s puppet

international | anti-war / imperialism | other press Wednesday December 28, 2005 18:07 by Coilín ÓhAiseadha Máigh Nuad, Co. Cill Dara

Taoiseach ‘shining the shoes’ of US President, says leading academic

The headlines above and the report excerpted below appeared on the front page of the Irish Independent today:
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THE Government reacted angrily last night after a leading US academic compared Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to a “shoe-shine boy” for President George Bush.
In a scathing attack on the Government’s foreign policy, the influential anti-war academic Noam Chomsky accused Mr Ahern of “shining the shoes” of the US President by allowing US warplanes to use Shannon airport.
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Brian Dowling
and Lorna Reid
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Speaking in advance of a lecture in Trinity College, Dublin next month, Professor Chomsky depicted the Government as little more than grovelling to US demands.
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A long-time critic of US foreign policy, Professor Chomsky said the Taoiseach’s actions in allowing Shannon to be used for the refuelling of US military aircraft could only be justified “if the goal of the Irish Government was to be the obedient servant of the global superpower. This tells you that western politicians despise democracy and prefer to shine the shoes of the power,” he said.

But a spokesman for the Government said the Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern categorically rejected the allegations made by Professor Chomsky.

“They are satisfied that Ireland’s position regarding the use of Shannon is fully compliant with domestic requirements and our international obligations. Arrangements for overflight and landing in Ireland of US military and civilian aircraft have been in place under successive governments for almost 50 years.”

The spokesman said the Government’s position had been approved by the Dail on March 20, 2003 and was wholly in accordance with US Security
Council resolutions on the situation in Iraq, including that of November 8, 2005.

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I have no idea how long the PDF of the front page will be available, but here's the URL anyway:
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/frontpagepdfs/2005/13465.pdf