Stop the war says Ireland but do we need to block Shannon?
By Lorna O’Neill
AN Irish anti-war movement is building in the wake of the British announcement that air strikes would be carried out over Syria.
Thousands had already gathered in London last night to oppose the move to go to war.
And the Irish showed their support for this stance by arranging a similar protest for December 10 outside the Dail.
The Irish Anti-War Movement published its plan online, stating that the 5pm rally, would take place to support British people in the opposition of bombing Syria.
It also called for an end to arms sales and a “restoration of Irish neutrality,” with an end to the “U.S military in Shannon.”
There has long been opposition to U.S planes refuelling at Shannon, before flying off to conflict zones.
A spokesman said: “The Irish Anti-War movement, in solidarity with other anti-war events in the UK, France and elsewhere, is assembling outside the Dail on Thursday to demand this Government that it upholds Irish neutrality, refuses to facilitate or participate in the bombing of Syria, calls for an immediate ceasefire and withdraws permission to use Shannon by the U.S military.
Ireland should play no part in the current war frenzy. The claim that bombing will destroy Daesh (Islamic State) is patently false.
Bombs are one of the main reasons why we are facing terrorism in the first place…
ISIS reportedly recently showed the Irish tricolour in video footage naming what it saw as “a coalition of devils.”
Security expert Tom Clonan told the Irish Mirror recently: In launching an attack on Paris they exploited a perceived weakness in the intelligence relationship between Brussels and Paris…. they looked for the gap in the hedge.
They are picking security weak spots, they are not going to go for the most secure, defended protected target. Their modus operandi is to go for weakness.
And guess what? Ireland is Europe’s weakest link when it comes to security, defence and intelligence.
“Ireland is also the global headquarters for Facebook, Google and Twitter. We have Shannon Airport where 2.2 million US troops have passed through.
“So if you were the bad guy how would you see Ireland now that we are named amongst the 60 devils? Ireland is a very attractive target for these people.”
A Sinn Féin MP who has campaigned alongside Jeremy Corbyn labelled the British Government “murderers” ahead of MPs voting on whether to bomb Syria yesterday.
Francie Molloy tweeted that “Brits back to what they do best, Murder.”
Ireland has always remained neutral at times of war but Shannon has remained somewhat of a sore point for the Government.
In January radical Muslim preacher, Anjem Choudary, warned that Ireland was a legitimate target to the terror group because of Shannon’s use by the U.S.
Choudary, who has described those behind the 9/11 attacks in the US as ‘magnificent martyrs’, said that Muslims fighting American foreign policy do not view Ireland as a neutral country because of its willingness to allow American planes refuel at Shannon.
You allow the Americans, who are the biggest butchers in the world, to stop at Shannon Airport to refuel and go on to kill people in Muslim countries… if you believe the Americans are terrorists, the Irish government is colluding with them and aiding and abetting terrorism, he said.
“You know it’s not just now that it’s become a legitimate target – I believe for a long time that in the eyes of al-Qaeda and others, it is a place which is being used to aid and abet the war… the Irish claim that it is neutral is not something which has been bought by Muslims around the world .”
It is likely that the decision to move in to Syrian airspace will result in an Irish cabinet briefing on Ireland’s stance at this time.