Military use of Shannon not a campaign issue, but now contentious
The use of Shannon Airport by the US military was not one of the larger election issues. However it has become one of the contentious issues in the negotiations for the formation of the new government. By Aisling O'Rourke.
The use of Shannon Airport by the US military was not one of the larger election issues. However it seems that it has become one of the contentious issues in the negotiations for the formation of the new government.
During the course of the election campaign the Irish Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) sponsored a survey on the opinion of the Irish population on the use of Shannon Airport by the US military. The participants were asked the following question: "Are you in favour of, or opposed to the use of Shannon Airport by US troops travelling to and from Iraq?"
The survey, which was conducted by Lansdowne Market Research Ltd gave the following results: 58% per cent of those surveyed were opposed to the use of Shannon, while 19 per cent were in favour. A further 21 per cent held no opinion on the matter and two per cent didn't know. In a poll conducted by village.ie, 4.6 per cent of respondents cited the use of Shannon as the primary national election issue.
Roger Cole, chair of PANA believes the issue was not an important one in this year's election. Cole said that the survey shows “an overwhelming majority of the Irish population do not support the use of Shannon”.
However he believes that when it came to election day for voters the economy and the health system were the main election issues.
He went on to say that the issue has been “virtually ignored by the corporate media”. Cole was of the opinion that the lack of interest in the issue by politicians etc was due to the lack of coverage in the corporate media.
PANA had also asked all candidates to sign a pledge stating: "We the undersigned, give a firm commitment that if elected, we will not participate in any Government that allows Shannon Airport or other Irish facilities to be used by the United States to conduct war in Iraq or in any other Imperialist war."
In a document received by Village, the Irish Anti war movement gave details of responses they received to their pledge in which election candidates gave their reasons for not signing the pledge.
Dermot Ahern Minister for Foreign Affairs (on behalf of Bertie Ahern) is quoted as giving the justification that “Ireland has been making over-flight and landing facilities available to the US over a period of 50 years. The fact that there is a war on does not seem to impinge on our Minster for Foreign Affairs' consciousness.”
The document also quoted Fine Gael candidate Sean Barratt (Dun Laoghaire) as saying he “saw no difficulty in extending facilities to “friendly powers”. It goes on to say “Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central) is against the war but reserves the right to assess whether Shannon is being used “for relief of human suffering or the protection of human rights”. Only the Progressive Democrats are as unperturbed as Fine Gael by the use of Shannon as a military stopover. Keith Redmond (Dublin North East) and Ben Doyle (Dublin South Central) responded (to the pledge) that they see no problem with Shannon being used.”
The document goes on to quote the appearance of Pat Rabitte on Thursday 17th May on Today on Pat Kenny. Rabitte is quoted as having said “that he would not stop military stop-overs at Shannon because they were happening on the basis of UN mandate.”
However in their official newsletter the Left Tribune Dermot Looney writes in a piece entitled “Labour Pledges to get US war planes out of Shannon when in government”. In the article Looney speaks of a motion, which was passed at the Labour youth conference which would “secure the withdrawal of the US military from Shannon airport if the labour party is to form the next Irish government”.
When questioned on Today on Pat Kenny on why Labour Youth seemed to have a different position, Pat Rabitte invoked his authority as the party leader and that that this was the party position (according to the document received by Village).
However it must be noted that the Labour party manifesto does address the issue of Shannon “Labour believes that the international community should learn from the recent illegally declared war in Iraq. We believe that positive compliance with international law and the policy principles of positive neutrality require us to not allow our airspace or facilities to be used for such purposes as facilitating such a war, or preparing for such a conflict.. Furthermore, in government we will not allow Shannon Airport or other Irish facilities to be used for the prosecution of any war, or military preparation for such, outside of international”.
In its manifesto the Green party stated that if elected into government they would “end the use of Shannon Airport by US military forces involved in the war in Iraq”
However none of its elected candidates had signed the pledge.
The document received by Village quoted Green party candidates who had not signed the pledge as giving the following response: “Trevor Sargent (Dublin North) has not signed the pledge, claiming that the GP had “no pre- conditions” in negotiations for government, including the use of Shannon. Ciaran Cuffe (Dun Laoghaire) referred us to Section 13 of the Green Party 2007 manifesto which commits the party to ending the use of Shannon Airport by US forces, but did not sign the pledge. John Gormley TD (Dublin South East) likewise, did not sign and referred us to the party's convention, which “could not lay down any preconditions on any issue”. Notwithstanding, he had not hesitation in assuring that the issue of Shannon would be “an absolute priority”.
All Sin Féin, Socialist Party and People Before Profit Alliance candidates signed the pledge, which was carried out in conjunction with the Irish Anti-war movement.
Among those who had signed were Joe Costello (Lab), Micheal D Higgins(Lab), Emmet Stagg(Lab), Patricia McKenna (GP), Niall Ó Brolcháin (GP), Brian Stanley (SF) and David Healy(GP).
Village has also received an appeal on behalf of the Irish anti war movement, Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) and the NGO Peace Alliance. The document is an appeal to the Green party against them going into government with Fianna Fáil.
The appeal questions the credibility that the green party would have if they were to go into government with FF. It makes note of the fact that FF “desperately needs the support of the Green Party but is also deeply committed to allowing the US to continue to use Shannon”
The appeal goes on to say “FF is prepared to do anything to keep the empire (the US) sweet including relinquishing Irish neutrality”
Also addressed in the appeal is the idea that Ireland has some form of obligation to continue to allow US troops to use Shannon airport. “Ireland has no legal obligation in International Law arising from our membership of the United Nations to allow US planes to land in Shannon Airport on their way to and from the war in Iraq. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, a member state of the United Nations said that under the Hague Convention of 1907, a cornerstone of International Law, a state which wishes to be regarded as neutral, in a war which was why no US planes were landing in Zurich Airport. By allowing Shannon Airport to be used, the Irish Government and any other Irish political party that does so, is declaring that Ireland is not neutral, but is in legal terms part of a military alliance fighting a war to gain control of the oil in Iraq and to consolidate US/Israeli military domination of the Middle East.”
The issue of the use of Shannon Airport by US troops is one that is likely to remain for some time to come. Whether or not any further action is taken for or against the use of the airport by the troops depends completely on the combination of parties and independents, which will form the next government.