Troop Flights Through Shannon Down in 2012 but on the Increase AgainShannonwatch, 3 January 2013 The number of US troop carriers using Shannon Airport was down in 2012 compared to previous years. In 2011 there was an average of over 80 troop flights a month but in 2012 the numbers recorded by Shannonwatch ranged from a low of 13 in July to a high of 72 in April. But while all the summer months saw relatively low numbers of troop carriers at Shannon, their frequency began to increase again towards the end of the year. Even though the number of civilian aircraft carrying US troop was down, the number of US military aircraft landing at Shannon did not change in 2012. On average 24 of these used Shannon every month, including Hercules c-130's and mid-air refueling tankers. The following graph shows the number of US military related flights recorded by Shannonwatch in 2012.
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IPSC EVENT - [Dublin] New Year’s Eve vigil to commemorate 4th anniversary of the attack on Gaza
To commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Israeli ‘Cast Lead’ attack on Gaza, in Dublin the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) is calling on people to gather at 2pm at the Ha’penny Bridge, Dublin on New Year’s Eve. Please bring Palestinian flags if you have them.
Please spare an hour of your time to remember the victims of the attack and the ongoing illegal Israeli siege of Gaza.
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IAWM PRESS RELEASE ON SANDY HOOK KILLINGS, 20 DECEMBER 2012 The Irish Anti-war Movement (IAWM) issued a statement today expressing sincere sympathy with the victims, survivors and families affected by the horrific killings at Sandy Hook School in Connecticut earlier this week but noted that the massacre must be seen in a wider context of a culture of violence perpetuated by successive US Governments. The statement noted: “America is the only country in the world perpetually at war: in 2011-2012 alone, the US military was killing people in nine different countries, from Afghanistan to Yemen. Since World War II, the US has engaged in over fifty military operations abroad (72 according to investigative journalist John Pilger) killing some four million people. If you consider the total massacres by proxies and surrogates (think Indonesia, Chile, Israel etc.) the number is closer to five million. There are approximately 400,000 Americans currently stationed in almost 1,000 overseas military bases.” The statement continued:
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06/12/2012 - 18:00 This Thursday 6th December US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton along with 50 other Foreign Secretaries is visiting Dublin for the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in Simmonscourt at the RDS, followed by dinner at Dublin Castle. A public demonstration has been called for 6pm at the Central Bank Plaza Dame Street Dublin 2 Supported by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Join on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/events/475058982533451/
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IAWM PRESS RELEASE – 19 November 2012 • STOP THE SLAUGHTER IN GAZA • END ISRAEL’S PUNISHING BLOCKADE OF GAZA • IRISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONDEMN ISRAEL The Irish Anti-war Movement (IAWM) issued a statement today calling for an immediate end to the bombing of Gaza, for an end to the six-year old punishing blockade and for the Irish Government to stop pussyfooting and to condemn Israel for its latest attacks and the continued siege of the territory. The statement noted that on the sixth day of Israel's barbaric assault on Gaza, 100 people have been killed, including at least 13 children and 9 from one family four of them children, hospitals are overwhelmed by the hundreds more who have been wounded, 1,350 sites have been attacked and two media centres bombed injuring eight journalists including one who lost his leg. The statement condemned Barack Obama's response - "There's no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders" – as total hypocrisy coming from a president of the United States whose first term was characterised by raining down missiles on citizens from outside its borders -- in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia -- and was comfortable enough with that to make jokes about his use of pilotless drone attacks. (See http://bit.ly/Sg2Ift) The statement noted that Barack Obama, David Cameron and William Hague have all given their unqualified support to Israel, whatever carnage and mass slaughter is inflicted on the people of Gaza, supporting Israel's "right to defend itself" -- by using the world's fourth most powerful military to bombard a defenceless population of 1.7 million Palestinians trapped in a strip of land half the size of County Carlow.
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In a statement today, Richard Boyd Barrett TD for People Before Profit/ULA and chairperson of the Irish Anti-War Movement said that the Israeli-initiated violence on the Gaza Strip must be addressed in the strongest possible terms. The government should take steps to ensure that no Irish state-funded institution engages in any trade with the state of Israel and cease all grants to Israel made under the EU’s framework programme for research until it complies fully with international law. The current cycle of violence has left scores of Palestinians dead and injured in an operation with Israel has chillingly called ‘Operation Pillar of Cloud’. It all began when a 12 year old boy playing football was killed by Israel on November 8th which resulted in an exchange of fire by the two sides. On November 12th Palestinian militant groups agreed to a truce and all attacks were stopped. On November 14th Israel broke the cease fire and continues to bombard Gaza as we speak. Richard Boyd Barrett said: “In the last 24 hours Medical Aid for Palestine has supplied 1,450 blood bags to replenish the stocks of blood at Gaza’s main hospitals, but the hospitals there can’t cope. So far 16 people are dead, including 5 children. The attack on the Strip is reminiscent of start of the 2008 war on Gaza which left 1400 dead, including 300 children.” “Ireland will have a seat on the UN Human Rights Council beginning in January 2013 which it should use to protect the human rights of the people of Palestine.” “I call on the Tanaiste to condemn the current attacks on Gaza in the strongest possible terms and to take concrete steps via his opposite number in Israel to stop this bloodshed immediately.”
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