IRISH ANTI WAR MOVEMENT (IAWM) PRESS RELEASE 09th October 2024

IAWM condemns the continued use of Shannon Airport as a U.S. military hub for arms transfers to Israel
IAWM calls for all Irish citizens to support the demonstration at Shannon Airport this Saturday 12^th October

A demonstration will take place at the entrance to Shannon Airport this Saturday at 1pm in support of Irish neutrality and in opposition to the use of the airport by the US military for the transport of weapons and soldiers.

The IAWM is condemning the continued use of Shannon Airport as a de-facto US military base, facilitating the transfer of munitions to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

Multiple recent reports from The Ditch confirm that military flights carrying munitions of war are regularly passing through Irish sovereign airspace. Shannon Airport has been used for flight stopovers by the US military since 2003 with the stopovers increasing since October 2023 which coincides with Israel’s genocidal onslaught on Gaza.

All this makes Ireland complicit in America’s enabling of Israel’s ongoing actions against Lebanon and its plausible genocide of Palestinians.

The IAWM objects to a civilian airport in a neutral country being repeatedly used for military purposes. The airport has effectively become a key logistics hub for U.S. military operations, raising serious questions about Ireland’s neutrality and international obligations. The use of Irish airspace and infrastructure to facilitate the transportation of arms bound for Israel is a breach of both Irish law and the nation’s commitment to peace.

This latest incident, involving a flight carrying over three tons of munitions through Irish airspace on 7 October, is one of many. Since 2003, numerous U.S. military flights, have landed in Shannon to refuel before landing in U.S. military bases in Europe and, after short turnarounds, have landed at military bases in Israel. The ongoing militarisation of Shannon has tied Ireland to U.S.-led military interventions in the Middle East, thus implicating all Irish people in the catastrophic destruction and suffering in those regions.

Local peace activist Ruairí Fahy (Tel. +353 89 204 6276) said:

“Despite repeated calls from local communities and activists in Clare and the Midwest and multiple peace groups in Ireland, the Irish government has failed to act, allowing Shannon’s use as a staging point for military operations to continue. This lack of action not only undermines Ireland’s neutrality but also facilitates the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine and beyond. The use of Shannon to assist in the transport of military equipment has contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, causing devastation that will take decades to repair. This facilitation must stop immediately.”

The IAWM is calling for immediate action from the Irish government:

1. End the militarisation of Shannon Airport. All military flights transporting weapons, especially those bound for Israel, must be halted.

2. Enforce strict transparency and oversight. The government must ensure that all military-related flights using Irish airspace and airports are subject to full scrutiny and comply with Irish law.

3. Pass essential legislation. The Occupied Territories Bill and the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill must be prioritised and passed to halt Ireland’s economic support for Israel’s military actions.

4. Reaffirm Ireland’s neutrality. The government must take a firm stand to protect Ireland’s neutrality by preventing its airspace and civilian infrastructure from being used to support military operations.

Shannon Airport was never intended to be used as a platform for global military activities. Its continued role in U.S. military operations undermines Ireland’s neutral position and implicates all Irish people in wars that have caused untold suffering. The IAWM is urging the Irish government to act swiftly to protect Ireland’s long-standing commitment to peace, ensuring Shannon Airport is no longer used to facilitate the apocalyptic devastation in the Middle East.

ENDS

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