IRISH ANTI WAR MOVEMENT (IAWM)
PRESS STATEMENT
28 MARCH 2011
The IAWM says:
Full support for the Libyan uprising
NATO bombing of Libya is no solution
Support all the Arab uprisings – no selective military interventions
The Irish Anti-war Movement held a picket at 6pm this evening at the EU HQ on Molesworth to protest against the western military intervention in Libya. Protesters called for the NATO bombing to stop and for the Irish Government to recognise the Libyan Transitional National Council.
An IAWM statement released after the picket noted that the bombing of Libya has gone way beyond the imposition of a no fly zone, has already caused civilian deaths and is likely to lead to many more. This is further exemplified by a Pentagon spokesman tonight, who when questioned why NATO’s planes were still destroying Gaddafi’s forces and armaments that were of no threat to civilians, could not give a plausible answer.
IRISH ANTI WAR MOVEMENT (IAWM)
PRESS STATEMENT
28 MARCH 2011
The IAWM says:
Full support for the Libyan uprising
NATO bombing of Libya is no solution
Support all the Arab uprisings – no selective military interventions
The Irish Anti-war Movement held a picket at 6pm this evening at the EU HQ on Molesworth to protest against the western military intervention in Libya. Protesters called for the NATO bombing to stop and for the Irish Government to recognise the Libyan Transitional National Council.
An IAWM statement released after the picket noted that the bombing of Libya has gone way beyond the imposition of a no fly zone, has already caused civilian deaths and is likely to lead to many more. This is further exemplified by a Pentagon spokesman tonight, who when questioned why NATO’s planes were still destroying Gaddafi’s forces and armaments that were of no threat to civilians, could not give a plausible answer.
The statement noted that there were many ways that the west could have helped the rebels in Libya without resorting to this massive military bombardment that undoubtedly has another agenda other than that stated by Western political leaders.
They could have simply united in recognising the Benghazi based National Council as the legitimate government of Libya. A serious question looms as to why the western powers refused to recognise the Transitional National Council and to support the demands of the Libyan people for freedom and democracy.
They could have lifted the arms embargo, which affected the rebels adversely but the Gadaffi regime hardly at all since the west had supplied it with weapons and military advice up until very recently. They could have offered medical help and followed the example of many Libyan doctors in exile who hastened home to offer help to the injured. NATO could now be dropping food parcels and medical supplies instead of bombs. The city of Benghazi is desperately short of food.
Most of all, they could have declared their support from the start for all of the Arab uprisings throughout the region. They have refused to do this and have been reticent at best and silent at worst on the suppression of these uprisings by despotic leaders who they have supported for decades. Instead they have tried to undermine these uprisings.
Marnie Holborrow of the IAWM Steering Committee noted that “the NATO bombing must be seen as part of a wider western political strategy for the region. Cameron and Sarkozy, cheerleaders for this initiative, fear that the Arab uprisings may get out of hand and threaten to overturn their cosy relationships with the despotic middle-eastern regimes. They believe that it is time to put their stamp back on the region and force a halt to further radicalization of the pro-democracy movements.”
Jim Roche, IAWM PRO noted:
“Western leaders have essentially ignored the repression occurring in the Yemen, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Instead of supporting other movements of protest across the region, they have effectively encouraged dictatorial regimes to continue undisturbed. The brutal suppression of the protests in Yemen has been passed over in silence and the EU’s Catherine Ashton has defended Bahrain’s violent repression of pro-democracy protesters. Her Councillor, Robert Cooper, one of the EU’s highest-ranking diplomats, was quoted in the Guardian last week as dismissing the killings of thirty Bahraini protesters with the comment “accidents happen” and that “the authorities were right to restore calm and order.” Such arrogance shows the true intent of the western leaders in relation to the genuine demands for freedom and democracy of the Arab people and must call into question their so-called humanitarian mission in Libya.“
The statement concluded with a call on the Irish Government to recognise the Libyan Transitional National Council and to call a halt to the NATO bombing.
END
For further info contact:
Marnie Holborrow, Steering Committee IAWM, 087 988 9244
Jim Roche, PRO Steering Committee, IAWM, 087 6472737
Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Chair Steering Committee, IAWM, 086 781 4520
