Shannon
GALWAY ALLIANCE AGAINST WAR
Press Release
TWO GALWAY PEACE ACTIVISTS TO FACE CHARGES
FOR SECURITY BREACH AT SHANNON
“The Law Is An Ass!”- GAAW
Two peace activists, Margaretta D’Arcy (78) and Niall Farrell (60), have received a letter each from the Gardai at Shannon stating the DPP is to press charges against them – “A summons will be issued at a future date.” Both D’Arcy and Farrell are members of the Galway Alliance Against War. On the 7thOctober last they went airside at Shannon airport and held a protest on the runway to mark the 11th anniversary of the start of the US and British invasion of Afghanistan. Since 2001 Shannon airport has proved to be an important hub in the US military’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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Part 1: Col. Ann Wright Speaks in Galway Part 2: Col. Ann Wright Speaks in Galway Part 3: Col. Ann Wright Speaks in Galway Part 4: Col. Ann Wright Speaks in Galway
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On Feb. 3rd 2003, the Pitstop Plougshares were charged with $2.5 million "criminal damage" followng their nonvolent dsablng of a U.S. Navy warplane. Initially remanded in Limerick Prison they were brought to trial three Itmes over the following three years at Dublin's historic Four Courts. In 2006 following two mistrials, the Ploughshares - Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran and Caron O'Reilly - were unanimously acquitted of all charges by a Dublin jury. Accordng to WikiLeaks released Dubln U.S. embassy cables, the action and acquittal sent shock waves through the U.S. and Irish government war conspirators. Deirdre and Ciaron were joined on Sunday by sizeable contingent of Garda and anti-war activists from Dublin, Galway and Limerick. Many of those gathered mantain a monthly anti-war persence at the airport and ongoing opposition to the continued use of the civilian airport by the U.S. military and C.I.A. The gathering began by reading the February 2003 action statement of Derdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran and Ciaron O'Reilly. This was followed by remembering the dead of Iraq, those soldiers who passed through Shannon to their deaths and anti-war activsts who had resisted the militarisation of the airport who have sadly passed away over the past ten years. Imprisoned U.S. military whistleblower Bradley Mannng http://www.bradleymanning.org/ ,who passed through Shannon Airport to deployment in Iraq, was also remembered. Reflections were then shared by all gathered before mustard seeds were scattered as a symbol of hope for future nonviolent resistance at the airport.
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ÁINE McMAHON - IRISH TIMES Ann Wright, a former US diplomat and the highest ranking member of the US military to resign over the Iraq war, has cautioned against Ireland getting involved in Nato. Ms Wright was special guest at a joint Irish Anti-War Movement/ Peace and Neutrality Alliance meeting in Dublin yesterday. She is most noted for having been one of three state department officials to publicly resign in protest at the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. “I would urge the citizens of Ireland to really push back on this attempt to get Ireland as a part of the Nato forces. We have seen what has happened in Afghanistan and the numbers of Afghans that have been killed in by military operations,” said Ms Wright. Ms Wright praised Ireland’s record of neutrality but warned it was now being “shopped around” by Nato. “They are trying to get Ireland to join up with them .The secretary general of Nato, Rasmussen, is here today to try and convince the Irish Government to join up with Nato,” she said. Slippery slope Anders Fogh Rasmussen, on a visit to Dublin this week, encouraged Ireland to get involved in more Nato projects and to develop its defence forces. Ms Wright described any involvement of Ireland with Nato as a “slippery slope”. “It’s a much different road than working with UN forces doing peace keeping operations in Lebanon, [as] Ireland has done for a long time.”
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Irish extraordinary rendition role
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LETTER IN IRISH TIMES, 080213. Sir, – The news that the government facilitated CIA rendition flights should come as no surprise to anybody (Home News, February 6th). It does, however, serve as a reminder of the shamefully sycophantic attitude that successive governments here have had and still have in relation to dealings with the US regarding foreign policy. Nothing shall be allowed to undermine potential inward investment from US corporations – not even the possibility that alleged suspects, illegally kidnapped and brought to torture centres, were carried through our air space. It seems there is a price for human rights after all. – Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH, Linden Avenue, Beaumont, Blackrock, Cork.
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