Irish Peace Groups Question Peace Award to John Kerry

Press Release

27th Oct 2016

Five peace groups have come together to oppose the awarding of the Tipperary International Peace Prize to US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday next (October 30th). Galway Alliance Against War, the Irish Anti-War Movement, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Shannonwatch and Veterans for Peace also intend to hold protests at Shannon Airport and at Aherlow House Hotel in Tipperary where the award ceremony will take place.

Speaking on behalf of the five organisations, Edward Horgan of Veterans for Peace posed the question: “What peace has John Kerry achieved and where?”

“The award of peace prizes should be based on truth, integrity and justification” continued Dr Horgan. “Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded in the past to several people who were guilty of starting or being complicit in wars of aggression and human rights abuses. Henry Kissinger is a case in point. Another example is Barack Obama who was awarded his Nobel Peace Prize just before he began authorising targeted assassinations and bombings that killed thousands of innocent civilians.”

“John Kerry and the United States of America claim to be defending the civilised world against Islamic terrorists and dictators” said Jim Roche of the Irish Anti War Movement. ”Yet the reality is that the United States has killed many multiples of the numbers killed by Islamic terrorists in its so-called War on Terror. US led wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria were all initiated without UN approval and with appalling consequences.”

IAWM PRESS RELEASE 18 OCTOBER 2016
IAWM PROTEST AT DÁIL EIREANN RE SYRIA – STOP THE BOMBING
WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER from 5.30PM.
• STOP THE BOMBING - CEASEFIRE NOW!
• HUMANITARIAN AID - NOT BOMBS
• ALL FOREIGN MILITARY OUT OF SYRIA
• LET THE REFUGEES IN
The IAWM will hold a rally this Wednesday at 5.30pm at Dáil Eireann in solidarity with the people of Syria, to call for the bombing to stop and for the Irish Government to end its silence on the issue. There will be Irish and Syrian speakers.
The IAWM condemns the continued bombardment of Aleppo, and other Syrian centres of resistance, by Russian and Syrian army forces.
We equally condemn the continued bombing, logistical support, arming of rebels, etc. by the US, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, Turkey et al. The recent ceasefire was broken by the killing of over sixty Syrian soldiers by a US air strike, possibly with British involvement.
The Syrian people are being sacrificed by a struggle between world (Russia and the US mainly) and regional powers in a geopolitical sandwich in what looks like becoming an imperial carve up of their country fuelled by an obscene multi-national arms industry with its insatiable demands for increased profits.
The IAWM says: STOP THIS WAR NOW!
Stop the bombing of Aleppo. Agree an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Open the channels for humanitarian aid to assist the besieged, starving and dying people of Syria. Let those refugees who are fleeing this carnage come to the west for sanctuary if they wish to. Stop flooding the region with arms. All foreign militaries should announce their intentions to get out of Syria.