Youth wings unite to demand US Military out of Shannon

dublin | anti-war / imperialism | press release

Monday April 09, 2007 21:23

by Labour_youth

Today 3 of Ireland's party political youth wings united to call for a US Military withdrawl from Shannon.

Youth Wings unite to call for US Military out of Shannon –
Joint statement of Labour Youth, Ógra Shinn Féin and the Young Greens

Labour Youth, Ógra Shinn Féin and the Young Greens today jointly reiterate their call for a full and complete US military withdrawal from Shannon airport and all Irish airports. Four years after the start of the US led war in Iraq the death toll stands at hundreds of thousands. The authority of the United Nations has been damaged, the primacy of international law undermined and Iraq teeters on the brink of civil war. The United States’ illegal war has proven as ill advised as it has damaging to international relations and the Human Rights of the Iraqi people.

The Irish government has facilitated that conflict through the provision of military facilities and refueling services at Shannon. Whilst this contribution is not instrumental, it has involved the Irish State in an illegal, unnecessary and unethical war, compromising our neutrality and providing an endorsement for the war, instead of joining other countries in condemning it as an affront to the concepts of peace and democracy which lie at the heart of Irish society, our government has allowed itself to become complicit in aiding the criminal actions of the US government.

Today Ógra Shinn Féin, Labour Youth and the Young Greens stand together in calling on the Irish government to permanently deny access to Irish air and port facilities to the United States military or any other military force engaged in the illegal and ill advised conflict in Iraq. We also call on our associated parties to live up to their commitments on this issue and to maintain their dedication to Irish neutrality, opposition to war and positive engagement with the International community should they enter government.

We are also calling on the young people of Ireland to consider these issues when casting their ballots in the upcoming general election and to vote for candidates who support the policy of ending the use of Irish airports by the U.S. military.

ENDS

For further information contact:

Patrick Nulty (Chairperson, Labour Youth) 0879688259
Ed Davitt (Chairperson, Young Greens) 0868700435
Barry McColgan (Ógra Shinn Fein) 00447709187907

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Comments (4 of 4)

Is and was instrumental

by Seán Ryan

Tue Apr 10, 2007 12:44

Maybe the above political wings might like to re-think their statement.

We facilitated troops being in Iraq, we turn a blind eye to preventing torture when it is unlawful to do so with regard to rendition and we most certainly shipped arms on behalf of many parties.

I remember Cowen, when he was minister for foreign affairs, arguing about Ireland's strategic importance with regard to us facilitating the stopover at Shannon.

I remember Bertie parroting the WMD lie about Iraq, amongst others.

All essential ingredients are instrumental. If Ireland had not been part of the genocide effort, the picture would have been noticably different.

One cannot say that Ireland was not instrumental, it's akin to Ireland waiting for backward UN approval for the war in Iraq in order to backwardly and supposedly justify its complicity.

From what I know...

by Anti-War

Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:53

...both the SY and the SWp young punters have been active consistnetly on the issue and arent into this knind of press-release tactic..

Trotskyists

by Ice picker

Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:42

Any news on Socialist Youth? And what about the Youth Wing of the SWP? (or is the whole party a youth wing?)

Too little too late from the Greens

Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:22

The Greens have been absolutely useless on the issue thusfar,a mere call for inspections if elected is so feeble and meaningless it beggars the point.
Good to see the call-out,but a mobilisation of the entire membership of these groups down to Shannon might be more frutiful in reality.
Doesnt LY claim to have over 1000 members--?If so,how is it that the turnout form these groups at anti-war actions is always dwaafed by much smaller left groups such as the revolutionary socialists and the anarchists..?
Words alone on Indymedia are a futile measure indeed.

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Youth wings unite to demand US Military out of Shannon

Comments (4 of 4)