by Alan Jacques
THE US Military’s continuing use of Shannon Airport is now set to become a General Election issue with Limerick candidates being urged to commit their support by signing a peace pledge.
In a joint initiative, Shannonwatch, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA), the Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM), Galway Alliance Against War (GAAW) and Veterans for Peace (VfP) Ireland are all calling for election hopefuls and their parties to bar military traffic from any country involved in war from landing on Irish soil or from using Irish airspace.
Launching the Peace Pledge initiative, John Lannon of Shannonwatch commented, “Since October 2001, Ireland has provided direct support for unilateral military interventions by the US and its NATO allies, most notably in Iraq and Afghanistan. This support has included the transit of at least 2.5 million armed troops plus additional military aircraft through Shannon Airport.”
“Given the devastation caused by these and other US/NATO military interventions, it is time to stop supporting them,” Mr Lannon insists.
And according to Edward Horgan of Veterans for Peace, “the next government must now commit to ending our complicity in this suffering”.
“A neutral state is subject to certain rules and obligations under international law, in particular the Hague Convention which states that belligerents are forbidden to move troops or convoys of either munitions of war or supplies across the territory of a neutral Power,” Mr Horgan explained.
Roger Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance is of the view that the participation of Ireland in military alliances like the NATO Partnership for Peace and European Union (EU) battle groups should also be ended with immediate effect.
“Furthermore, support for regional military alliances, including those resulting from the Mutual Defence Clause of the Lisbon Treaty, flouts the democratic wishes of the Irish people who have regularly reaffirmed their commitment to positive neutrality,” Mr Cole declared.
The Peace Pledge is available online at www.peacepledge.ie. Election candidates are now being asked to visit the website and commit to not joining or supporting a government that allows the use of Shannon Airport for military purposes.
