Substantial increase in US military use of Shannon

by Roger Cole - Peace & Neutrality Alliance Thu Jun 08, 2006 19:55 pana at eircom dot net

The Peace & Neutrality Alliance organised its first demonstration at Shannon airport against its use in the invasion, conquest and occupation of Iraq in May 2002 in the build up to the invasion and along with other groups has campaigned actively against its use on many occasions since then.
From next July the number of US troops using Shannon will be cut in half. We regard that as a great victory as the continuing on going campaign clearly was responsible.
It is not enough. We need to continue to campaign until no US troops use Shannon in this war for oil. We will seek to ensure it is an key issue in the next General election.
The Pentagon has declared this war will be a "long war". The Irish political/media elite has totally backed the war from the start and has consistently tried to minimize and belittle the role played by
all those opposed to this Imperial war whether they are the Plowshares Group or PANA. Ahern is a born-again Redmondite who absolutely committed to dragging this country deeper and deeper in this Imperial war in which the defeat of the US/EU military is the only inevitable outcome. All of use who oppose the restoration of Ireland's Imperial tradition by the Irish political/media elite need to work together more closely to defeat the war party led by Ahern. We have plenty of work to do.

by Pushkin Thu Jun 08, 2006 15:38

Good news on the poll. Be at the quiz 2nite or else!

by krossie - wsm (personal capacity) Thu Jun 08, 2006 15:29

TV 3 did one of their "text in " polls as part TV3 news.
These usually get you a pretty reactionary result.

Any way an amazing 74% of those polled thought US troops on the way to Iraq (specifically) should not be allowed through Shannon

Krossie

by redjade Thu Jun 08, 2006 11:35

RTÉ and Irish Indo both confirm

archived here (no logion required)
http://groups.google.com/group/miscrandometc/browse_thr...0a20a

by hitting the fan Thu Jun 08, 2006 11:30

Aer Rianta announced last year that they would get rid of half the staff at the airport. Now they'll use the timing of this to suggest that it is protestors fault (which is ludicrous because the protests haven't had any direct effect since the summer of 2003)

With World Airways gone, it would just be American Trans Air bringing troops through Shannon.

by Sure now Thu Jun 08, 2006 11:10

As World Airways confirms that it will move operations through Leipzig in Germany from the end of this month... so that's about half of the troop flights gone.

Martin23 ... "a force for good"....? Tell that to the families of 100,000 dead Iraqis... howabout doing a survery in Fallujah or Haditha or Ishaqi?
maybe they're a force for the good of yer pocket if your one of the small group getting bloodmoney from troop flights transiting Shannon

by martin23 Thu Jun 08, 2006 03:18

I hope our government continues to give the use of shannon to the US army, after all they are a force for good and its good for ireland to be on good terms with america.