NO IRISH TROOPS TO IRAQ
national |
anti-war / imperialism |
press release
Tuesday September 23, 2003 10:37
by aoife Ni Fhearghail - Irish Anti-War Movement
info at irishantiwar dot org
PO Box 9260, D1
087 7955013
UN must not be used as cover for US occupation
Irish anti-war movement press release & details of Saturday's demo
IRISH ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT
087 7955013 / 087 6329511 info@irishantiwar.org www.irishantiwar.org
NO IRISH TROOPS TO IRAQ, UN MUST NOT BE USED AS COVER FOR US OCCUPATION
Press Release Tuesday 23rd September 09.00am
The Irish Anti-War Movement this morning condemned last night’s speech by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern which indicated that the Government is considering sending Irish troops to Iraq under a UN mandate.
The Taoiseach’s statement comes as the United States is today working on a new UN Resolution aimed at winning UN approval for its ongoing occupation of the Iraqi people. The Irish Anti-War Movement believes that the UN should not be used as a fig-leaf for the continued repression of the Iraqi people and the accelerated sell-off of the resources of Iraq.
Aoife Ní Fhearghail, Secretary of the Irish Anti-War Movement said:
“At every single juncture during the two years of the ‘war on terror’, the Irish Government has displayed nothing but moral cowardice, political duplicity and a disturbing lack of concern for the victims of war. Upwards of 10,000 Iraqi civilians are now known to have been killed. Thousands more have been injured, yet hospitals are starved of the medicines and equipment needed to treat these injuries. The $1 billion spent each week on this occupation is not being used for the benefit of the Iraqi people, but for the benefit of multinational corporations as the resources of Iraq are gradually stolen from its people.
Our airports are still being used almost every day to transport weapons of mass destruction* to Iraq, making a complete mockery of our supposed neutrality. Historically, Fianna Fáil arose out of a struggle against occupation. It is a tragedy that its leaders now see its priority as supporting US oil companies instead of using its international voice to call for justice for the people of Iraq. We are calling on everyone who is disgusted at the Government’s continued support for this war to come on the national anti-war demonstration this weekend and make our voices heard”.
The Irish Anti-War Movement, along with the Peace and Neutrality Alliance and the NGO Peace Alliance, has organised a major demonstration this Saturday (27th) against the Occupations of Iraq & Palestine. It begins at 2pm in the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, Dublin. Speakers will include Dr Nooh al-Kadoo, an Iraqi doctor and Director of the Islamic Centre of Ireland who has visited Iraq three times during the war to determine the truth behind the occupation, and Caoimhe Butterly, an Irish human right activist who has spent the last 4 months on the ground in Baghdad.
* Mark 77 Firebombs, a new equivalent of Napalm which combine polymer gel & jet fuel and have been used in Iraq, have been transported through Shannon Airport to be used against the Iraqi people.
- ENDS –
For further information contact Aoife Ní Fhearghail on 087 7955013 (before 12.30pm) or Richard Boyd Barrett on 087 6329511.
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Comments (7 of 7)
Jump To Comment: 7 6 5 4 3 2 1As the body bags mount it is time to send in the Timmy collins and the Royal Hunrish. No point wasting pure blue blooded brit soldiers on Iraqi soil when mongrel Hunrish blood will do just as well.
The people of Iraq will await the arrival of the first Irish troops. There is plenty of sand to be filling bags like they are used to do.
The Iraqi resistance also learn to sign the word "BooM" for the poor deaf Irish soldiers.
Many thousand of the relatives of those who were bombed and murdered by planes and ordnance welcomed into Irelands Shannon also await first Irish soldiers too.
It's a good place to go for the Irish Army. Like their American masters, they will learn much. Don't worry or try to stop them. They will say that you are silly or disloyal. Instead wave them off from Shannon and know that they go into the arms of those who will take good care of them .
Where will Bertie fight, I wonder? In the dail bar with Coke and slice?
If Ahern manages to get his way and send Irish troops to the quagmire in Iraq, then we can be sure that some Irish soldier alive today will die needlessly. And for what. For lies, corruption but ultimately for serving the corporate interests. He and his family will be told it's for freedom but that is a lie.
Fippinger will now probably lose her home, her pension, even her freedom
Sitting in her modest two-bedroom home on the west Florida coast, Faith Fippinger begins to cry as she talks about the prospect of going to jail.
This spring, the 62-year-old retired schoolteacher decided to travel to Iraq as a human shield.
To many she is a humanitarian, but in the eyes of the US Government she is a criminal.
more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3126220.stm
Ireland must not commit troops to any sham cover operation for US/K occupation of Iraq.
It would be a massive political mistake for Ireland, destroying our credibility in the developing countries, and a huge betrayal to the memory of our troops who have died and been injured while on peace-keeping duties all over the world.
Fortunately at the moment it does not appear that the government have any intention of commiting troops except under a UN resolution, and such a resolution is highly unlikely unless the US changes it's position on command structure and self-determination for the Iraqi people.
About fucking time Ireland woke up and started having an empire.
Irelands UN peacekeepers, are imperialist butchers