RUSSIAN PEACE PROPOSAL FOR SYRIA

                Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov(L) with Syrian Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister

                Walid al-Muallem in Moscow, Monday.

RUSSIAN INITIATIVE ON
CHEMICAL WEAPONS
GETS WELCOME IN SYRIA:

An apparent slip of the tongue by US Secretary of State, John Kerry, seeming to give an ultimatum to Damascus to de-commission its chemical weapons stocks within one week was gazumped by Moscow with a request to Syria to put its Chem weapons under UN control and quickly welcomed by Syrian Deputy Premier, Walid al-Muallem, in Moscow for talks with Russian leaders.

Syria welcomed the Russian proposal to place the nation's chemical weapons under international control, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said on Monday after talks in Moscow, praising the Kremlin for seeking to "prevent American aggression".

Muallem, who spoke to reporters through an interpreter after Russia expressed hope the proposal could avert military strikes against Syria, stopped short of saying explicitly that President Bashar al-Assad's government accepted it.

"I state that the Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the Russian initiative, motivated by the Syrian leadership's concern for the lives of our citizens and the security of our country and also motivated by our confidence in the wisdom of the Russian leadership, which is attempting to prevent American aggression against our people," he said.

“We are calling on the Syrian authorities not only to agree on putting chemical weapons storages under international control, but also for its further destruction and then joining of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,” Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier.

Moscow proposes Syria’s chemical disarmament in exchange for peace:

After talks with Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid al-Muallem, in Moscow, Lavrov called on Syria to "place the chemical weapons under international control and then have them destroyed".  “We have passed our offer to Al-Muallem and hope to receive a fast and positive answer,” Sergei Lavrov said.

If establishment of control over chemical weapons in Syria can help avoid a strike, Russia will immediately join it,  Lavrov said at  the press-conference. Moscow will try to broker a deal in which Syria submits its chemical arsenal to international control and the West drops plans to attack Syria, Lavrov added. Lavrov also said Moscow is already stoking up diplomacy to this end.

 

The Russian initiative cuts across the real agenda of Washington which is to act for regime change in Damascus and eliminate a Government which has steadfastly resisted US imperialist actions in the Middle East:

"Obama is not listening to Americans, Europeans or the UK Parliament. We thank the American people for standing against striking Syria. We admire the American people who voice their protest against military intervention," said Walid al-Muallem during the meeting  in Moscow.

"What are the real interests of the United States behind launching this aggression? Why does US want to help those who are behind 9/11? The US will be wrong to destroy army and help al-Qaeda," Walid al-Muallem said, adding that "We’re confident Russian efforts on peace talks will stop strikes".

Aggression against Syria aims at weakening the military potential of the Syrian army in the interest of al-Qaeda "But if such aggression against Syria aims, as we suspect, to considerably weaken the military potential of the Syrian army in the interest of al-Qaeda and various affiliated groups, then we will raise our objections," he said. "Then we have the right to ask a question about the genuine interests of the United States that wishes to unleash an attack on the behalf of Jabhat al-Nusra and similar groups," the Syrian minister stressed.

US Senate delays vote on Syria:

The US Senate was set to vote on Wednesday whether to authorise President Obama to use "limited military action" against Syria. But, following a day of debates, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced he would not file for a test vote on a resolution to strike Syria.
"I'm not going to file closure this evening on the motion to proceed to the Syria resolution," he said on the Senate floor.   

"Tomorrow the president is going to brief the Democratic caucus and the Republican caucus separately." "He's going to address the nation tomorrow night. As we all know, the international discussions continue relative to the matter in Syria. Normally, what I would do in a situation like this is file cloture today. But I don't think that's to our benefit. I don't think we need to see how fast we can do this. We have to see how well we can do this matter," Reid continued. 

Meanwhile across the US, Peace activists continued to mount protest demonstrations against the Obama/Kerry insane war plans. On Saturday, demonstrations were held in all major cities in the country adding to the telephone and social media pressure on Senators  and Congress members not to vote for War in the coming debates. In one district in the State of Maryland the voters were 97% against any military intervention in Syria.

                                              Anti-War protesters at the White house on Saturday

The bumbling incompetence of Obama/Kerry's conduct of US foreign policy has shocked NATO allies and is partly the reason why German Chancellor, Angela Merkel refused to sign the communique supporting the US line at the end of the G20 Summit in Petersburg, Russia, last week and French President, Francois Hollande pulled back from supporting a US military strike on Syria as well.

"Mutti Merkel" as she is colloquially described, wears the trousers, literally, as well as politically as she governs from her little palace, the Bundeskanzler Amt, a few hundred yards West of the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin.

With the United States seeking to rally international support for military strikes on Syria in the wake of what it says was a deadly chemical attack by the regime on August 21,only four EU countries signed the statement.

 

On Sunday, Mrs Merkel criticised the timing of the statement and said she wanted to get all 28 EU members on board before signing.

"I don't believe it's right for five countries to agree on a united stance without the other 23 that can't be there, knowing that 24 hours later all 28 will be gathering around the same table." Merkel, who is seeking re-election in two weeks' time, told a campaign rally in western Germany. "That's why I said, 'Let's see to it that we have a united stance by all 28.'"

The remarks were a veiled criticism of Britain, France, Italy and Spain, the four EU countries that signed the G20 statement on Friday.

Neither the G20 statement nor the EU statement - issued after a meeting attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry - called for military intervention.





See also: "Berlin protests Obama Spynet" here:

 

http://blagaroon2.blogspot.ie/2013/09/berlin-20000-protest-obamansa-spynet.html

 

 

 

US MILITARY BUILD-UP AT SHANNON:

UPSURGE IN US MILITARY
TRAFFIC AT SHANNON AIRPORT:

A significant increase of US Military traffic at Shannon Airport, Co Clare, Ireland, close to Limerick City in the West, Atlantic  coast,  was reported by local observers this week. On Saturday alone, at midday, four US military aircraft plus an air refuelling tanker aircraft and one Omni AIR (Contracted by the US military) troop carrier were landed on the tarmac. In addition, a fuel tanker vessel was observed at the marine fuel delivery point in the estuary on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Local Peace group, Shannonwatch, issued the following statement:

"Number of U.S. Military Aircraft at Shannon Raises Concerns

Shannonwatch, 8 Sept 2013

Shannonwatch have called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore, to clarify the significance of several U.S. troop carriers and other military aircraft at Shannon Airport in the run-up to what might well be a U.S. led attack on Syria. As U.S. President Barack Obama continues to look for support for an attack that would have serious repercussions for the Syrian people and the region as a whole, the organisation calls on the Irish government to make its opposition clear by immediately ending the U.S. military use of the airport.

In the last week Shannonwatch recorded14 U.S. military aircraft as well as four troop carriers at Shannon Airport. The military aircraft included Hercules C-130s operated by the U.S. Air Force and Navy,and two KC-10s. The KC-10 is a military version of the DC-10 and is used by the U.S. Air Force for transport and aerial refuelling. The presence of the KC-10s at Shannon could indicate that other US military aircraft are being refuelled in or near Irish airspace. 
Shannonwatch are particularly concerned at the fact that on Saturday Sept 7^than armed man in army clothing was seen beside one of the U.S. Air Forces’ Hercules at the airport. “This man was either part of a support service being provided by the Irish army to the U.S. military, or the unauthorised presence of an armed U.S. soldier on Irish soil” said Shannonwatch spokesperson Edward Horgan. “If it was an Irish soldier providing support for the U.S. military,it calls our neutrality into serious question. If it was a U.S. soldier, it is a violation of Irish law as well as our neutrality, since the U.S. does not have permission to have weapons on its military aircraft at Shannon”.

The situation regarding the presence of weapons on U.S. military flights at Shannon was outlined by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamonn Gilmore in June of this year. In answer to a written parliamentary question he stated that permission for foreign military aircraft, including U.S. aircraft, to land at Irish airports is given only on condition that the aircraft are unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and do not engage in intelligence gathering and that the flights in question do not form any part of military exercises or operations.

“It is inconceivable that U.S. military aircraft transiting Shannon airport would not be carrying armed personnel” said Edward Horgan. “The only way to be sure that they are not is to inspect them. But despite being asked repeatedly to do so, the authorities refuse”.

On 7^th September Shannonwatch also recorded a U.S. Army C-12 twin-engine turboprop aircraft at Shannon Airport. C-12’s are used for various duties, including embassy support, medical evacuation, as well as passenger and light cargo transport. Some C-12’s are modified with surveillance systems for various missions.

“It is not clear if the C-12 seen at Shannon on Saturday was carrying military cargo or not” noted Edward Horgan. “Given the risks associated with a U.S. military attack on Syria, it is more important than ever to inspect these aircraft now”.

On Sunday 8^th September two Omni Air International troop carriers departed from Shannon. “This means hundreds of troops passing through a civilian airport. Shannon is not equipped to deal with potential attacks on an army that may be now be preparing to attack Syria, having already invaded Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya over the last decade” said the Shannonwatch spokesperson. In addition to the U.S. military planes at Shannon this week, Shannonwatch also identified a Gulfstream Aerospace G-1159A Gulfstream III that is reportedly leased by the Italian Air Force. It is not the first time it has visited Shannon but its presence in a supposedly neutral country is worrying. While Shannonwatch welcomes the Italian government’s statement that they will not take part in any US-led attack on Syria without full UN authorisation, there are nonetheless questions to be answered about the Italian Air Force presence in Shannon at the same time as the US Air Force according to their spokesperson Mr. Horgan.

“Because of the unusually high level of military activity at Shannon over the weekend, we are asking the Minister to immediately clarify whether or not the airport is being used to assist in the build-up to an attack on Syria, and to make a statement on the matter. As the Minister for Foreign Affairs it is his duty to ensure Ireland is not complicit in another illegal attack on a Middle Eastern country by the U.S. And the only sure way to do that is to end their use of Shannon Airport now.”

The presence of an Italian Air Force aircraft is an unusual occurrence, particularly as the Italian Government has publicly stated that Italy would not participate in any US-led attack on Syria. The arrival of two marine tankers signifies that other US aircraft are being re-fuelled in Irish airspace contrary to Irish and International law on military air traffic. The citizens of nearby Limerick City are particularly concerned at this increase in military traffic at what is a civil airport and the consequent danger of accidents with aircraft carrying large quantities of fuel and high-explosive weaponry.

The Irish Government must immediately answer these serious public concerns.

 

 

 

 

 

Obama Fails at G20:

OBAMA FAILS AT G2O
AS MAJORITY FOLLOW
RUSSIA'S LINE ON SYRIA:

US President Obama failed to garner any additional support from world leaders at the G20 summit in Petersburg, Russia, as a forceful Russian President, Vladimir Putin, secured a majority of the leaders and delegations to support his line of opposition to unilateral military action against Syria in reprisal for alleged chemical weapons use by the Assad government in Damascus.

 

With unilateral military action against a sovereign state declared illegal by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, a stance fully supported by Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa, India, Indonesia, representing the majority of the world's population and only the usual suspects, Britain,Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar - the covert supporters of the Jihadist terror groups infesting Syria- lined up with Washington, Mr Obama was increasingly isolated in his demand for military action against Damascus as the summit proceeded. French President Hollande, all gung-ho for military action last week and making sly remarks on Britain's House of Commons decision to rule out military intervention, backed away from the Washington line and stated he would now wait for the UN inspectors reports on last month's chemical weapons incident in Damascus before taking any decision. EU President of Council, Rumpoy, also joined the Coalition of the Unwilling with a clear statement that the EU favoured using the United Nations process for dealing with the situation. A diplomatic disaster for the White House.

Domestically, public opinion in the USA is over 70% opposed to military strikes with phone calls to the White House reaching a record 500/1 against the Obama war plans. Likewise, the same high percentages, 60-70% opposition, are being recorded even in those countries like Britain and France whose leaders are backing Obama.

The US/NATO plans for regime-change in Syria based on a false extrapolation from their  "victory" in Libya two years ago when they thought the Assad Government would fall like a ripe fruit with minimum effort by them, have fallen apart as Assad held on and succeeded in resisting the jihadist terrorists they exported to Syria via their bases in Kosovo and Turkey and cross-border from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. They are now using the chemical weapons slander to justify direct military intervention to topple Assad and complete their imperialist agenda for control of the Arab East. But, this has proved a huge miscalculation as world opposition by Russia, China and the bulk of non-NATO countries plus well organised peace movement protests in the US and NATO Europe has resisted the lies and propaganda which fooled some people previous to the invasion of Iraq and galvanised domestic political opposition like never before.

OUTFOXED BY PUTIN:

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, choreographed the whole show exactly as he wanted. Mr Obama was seated between Brazil and Mexico both of whom are severely pissed at Washington currently, not only because they oppose military interventions in Syria, but also
because their Governments were targets for Obama's NSA spying activities as revealed by the Snowden files given to Wikileaks, making a distinctly uncomfortable position for Mr Obama. Brazilian President, Dilma Roussef, looked stern and unfriendly at the round table in Petersburg. Rousseff was furious over the reported snooping into her personal communications and a senior government official said on Wednesday that she might cancel the state visit to the White House unless she got an apology. Brasilia even called off a trip by an advance team to Washington to prepare for the visit. A report that the National Security Agency’s massive spy program directly targeted Rousseff’s communications with top aides has brought the trip into doubt and hiked tensions between the two nations. In Brasilia, Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo said the answers given by the United States since the first allegations emerged in July have been "false."

US journalist Glenn Greenwald, who has access to secret documents leaked by fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, told Brazil's Globo television this week that the agency spied on Rousseff's Internet searches and Pena Nieto's emails before his election last year. In July, Greenwald co-wrote articles in Brazil's "O Globo" newspaper saying the NSA spied on Latin American allies and rivals, using electronic espionage to monitor military purchases in Venezuela, energy and drug issues in Mexico and rebel movements in Colombia.

The Mexican President had already made critical remarks about US spying activities on his way to Petersburg:

 "If it is proven that an action took place, with the use of espionage means, this is clearly not permitted and it is outside the law," Pena Nieto told reporters during a stopover in Canada before arriving in Petersburg. "There will surely be space at the G20 for some sort of meeting, either casual or informal, with the US president to make our position very clear," he said, recalling that his government has asked the United States to investigate the matter.

Before Pena Nieto was elected in July 2012, the NSA intercepted some of his phone calls, text messages and emails, including communications in which he discussed potential cabinet members, it is alleged.

 

 

Moscow’s calibrated reaction largely stems from realisation that U.S. President Barack Obama has got trapped into his own rhetoric about “red lines,” and whatever he does now will play into Russia’s hands.

“Russia doesn’t have to do anything, just sit back and relax, and we’ll end up the winning side,” said Prof. Georgy Mirsky of the Moscow Institute of World Economy and International Relations. Moscow stands to gain whatever course Mr. Obama takes, Russian experts said.

“If Obama attacks Syria he will be seen fighting on the side of al-Qaeda, whose militants make up a third of the opposition forces, even according to U.S. military commanders,” said analyst Yulia Latynyna. If the U.S. attack is “limited” and “narrow,” as Mr. Obama has declared, it may even strengthen President Assad who will be able to say he has stood up to the world’s most powerful nation. Other observers think the U.S. may well slide down the slippery path of broader intervention in Syria. “Having started to take part in this campaign, the United States will be unable to get out of it without removing Bashar al-Assad. And considerations of prestige will outweigh all the doubts of those who fear chaos after a change of regime,” said Dr. Fyodor Lukyanov, chairman of the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.

At a recent press conference on Syria, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov lamented a lack of “strategic thinking” in U.S. foreign policy. In contrast, Russia has repeatedly demonstrated it has strategic vision, with the situation in Iraq, Libya and Syria proving it right. Mr. Lavrov said Russia had “no plans to go to war” over Syria, but,pointedly, he didn't say Russia would not react.

China

Russia will continue to block any anti-Syrian moves at the U.N. Security Council, expose the illegal nature of U.S. interference and the foolishness of siding with Islamist radicals in Syria. Moscow will also cement its ties with Iran and China. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani placed a telephone call to Mr. Putin last week, with the two leaders calling for resolving the Syrian crisis “exclusively through political and diplomatic means.” The Russian and Iranian Presidents will have their first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan in mid-September. Also, last week, China’s Ambassador to Russia, Li Hui, called on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s sentinel for the Middle East, to discuss “further Russian-Chinese political and diplomatic interaction in connection with a sharp aggravation of the situation around Syria.”

Last, but not least, Russia will continue to arm Syria. “Russia and Iran have far more possibilities to help Assad than the other side can help rebels,” said Prof. Mirsky. “We can ship him as many weapons as he needs, while Iranians can send over its Islamic Revolution Guards as volunteers. America has no chance of winning this war.”

 

 

Syria, September 5:

 

While Mr Obama was hand-wringing in Petersburg, the Jihadists infesting Syria mounted another attack on a Christian town in their campaign of murderous terror against the minority religious communities in the country.

The dawn assault on the Christian village of Maaloula, about 60km north of Damascus, was carried out by rebels from the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra group. At the start of the attack, an al-Nusra fighter blew himself up at a Syrian Army checkpoint at the entrance to the village.

                           The historic Christian village of Maaloula, Western Syria.

 

Maaloula, a mountain village some 40 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Damascus, is home to about 2,000 residents, some of whom still speak a version of Aramaic, the ancient language of biblical times believed to have been spoken by Jesus.

The suicide attack was followed by fighting between the jihadis and Syrian government forces, Eventually, the rebels seized the checkpoint, disabled two tanks and an armoured personnel carrier and killed eight Syrian soldiers in fighting. Heavy fighting around the village, which is on a UNESCO list of tentative world heritage sites – continued throughout the day, and heavy artillery echoed in the village. “The stones are shaking,” said a nun at the Mar Takla monastery. “We don’t know if the rebels have left or not, nobody dares go out.” She spoke with the Associated Press  on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

 

Frightened residents expected the militants to return to the Safir hotel, she said, adding: “It’s their home now.” The nun said the rebels took over the Safir hotel atop a mountain overlooking the village and fired shells at it from there. "It's a war. It has been going from 6 a.m. in the morning," she said. Some 80 people from the village took refuge in the convent, which houses 13 nuns and 27 orphans, she said. The attack highlights fears among Syrian Christians that the alternative to Assad’s regime,(made up mostly of Alawites – followers of an offshoot of Shiite Islam), being promoted by the US and NATO,  would not tolerate minority religions. The nun who spoke to the AP said there were reports that the militants threatened villagers with death if they did not convert. The report could not be independently confirmed.

Maaloula has several churches and important monasteries, including Deir Mar Takla, which is visited by many Christians and Muslim pilgrims. Inscriptions found in some of the caves in the mountainside on which the town sits confirm it as one of the earliest centres of Christianity in the world, and some residents can still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus.

 

Later on Thursday, government warplanes launched three air strikes on the checkpoint held by the rebels. Syria's Sana state news agency meanwhile reported that an army unit "eliminated members of a terrorist group belonging to the al-Nusra Front" north-east of Maaloula and "destroyed the tools they use in their crimes".

 

Damascus:

In fighting in Damascus, a mortar shell fired by rebels hit a sports hall, killing a member of the national tae kwon do team, 27-year-old Mohammed Ali Neimeh. Neimeh had been training for an upcoming Islamic Solidarity Tournament in Indonesia this week. In the Daraya district, several fighters fired assault rifles from behind an earthen embankment. Smoke rose from the neighborhood of Barzek after the shelling.

There were new signs of rivalry among rebel groups that have been fragmented from the start. The two main camps are the Western-backed so-called "Free Syrian Army", which portrays itself as the largest fighting group, and jihadist fighters, including thousands from outside Syria, who have become increasingly dominant, particularly in the north and sparsely populated east.

Among the jihadists, there have been several splits in recent months, particularly between those loyal to commanders in Syria and those who pledge allegiance to al-Qaeda-linked groups in Iraq. In an amateur video posted online Wednesday, a foreign fighter was seen standing among other bearded men who he says have come to Syria from Russia and the Caucasus to wage jihad, or holy war.

"Our brigade is called the Mujahedin of the Caucasus and the Levant, and we have our brothers from all over the world with us," he said in halting Russian translated into Arabic. He said his men had broken away from one of the jihadi blocs, known as ISIS, and that the group is also "independent from Jabhat al-Nusra and others."

 

 

 

 

 

 

See also: The Pope's Letter to Putin ...here

 

 

http://blagaroon2.blogspot.ie/2013/09/syria-crisis-popes-letter-to-russian.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 :

 

 

 

 

Shannon Protesters in Court:

                                         Part of the regular monthly protest at Shannon Airport


SHANNON PROTESTERS
IN COURT AGAIN:

 

Following Sunday's protest on the Shannon Airport runway

and subsequent arrests, two protesters, Niall Farrell and Margaretta D'Arcy of Galway Alliance against War appeared in Limerick District Court

on Monday, September 2, 2013:

 

 

 

Court proceedings, Limerick District Court, Monday September 2;

 

When Niall Farrell was brought before the Court, Judge O'Kelly asked him if he wished to have a solicitor appointed to represent him, but Niall Farrell declined the offer and said he wished to represent himself. When Inspector Kennedy stated that Mr Farrell was arrested on the runway, Niall Farrell asked if there was proof that he was on the runway. Judge O'Kelly then intervened and said this hearing was primarily about a bail application and the main issues would be debated at a later hearing.

 

When Inspector Kennedy referred to the seriousness of this matter, Niall Farrell stated that "all I want is peace" and their action was a statement about society and the issue should be the war machine and US military use of Shannon airport. Judge O'Kelly objected to political statements being made in court. Inspector Kennedy referred to the dangers of this incident and the issues of safety of the protestors themselves and the safety of airport staff and dangers to flights and air passengers. He said that all movements within the airfield were strictly controlled by Air Traffic Control. Niall Farrell and Margaretta D'arcy had entered the airfield wearing orange boiler suits and carrying signs relating to the war in Syria. Photos had been taken by others of the incident and these photos were immediately published on the internet.

 

Judge O'Kelly asked if Niall Farrell was given bail for the incident last year and Inspector Kennedy said that the issue of bail did not arise on the previous occasion. Judge O'Kelly asked what were the penalties for this offense and Inspector Kennedy replied that the penalties carried a maximum of three years on indictment. Niall Farrell asked what about the other dangers arising from the US warplanes using Shannon, but Judge O'Kelly again ruled such matters out of order. Niall Farrell explained that the incident took place during a quiet window when no planes were landing, and Inspector Kennedy agreed that no aircraft were delayed on this occasion because of the incident, but he also explained (after being prompted by Judge O'Kelly) that Shannon airport was an emergency airport for all flights in the Western Europe region of the Atlantic and that aircraft could arrive unexpectedly at short notice. Niall Farrell asked if he was more of a danger than the military aircraft.

 

Judge O'Kelly asked Niall Farrell if he was prepared to give a written sworn undertaking not to trespass onto the airside area of Shannon airport between now and the completion of this case. Inspector Kennedy said that the Gardai also wanted the defendants to be prohibited from going anywhere near Shannon airport during this period. Judge O'Kelly did not agree with this and limited the bail undertakings to an undertaking not to trespass onto the airside area of Shannon airport between now and the completion of this case. After some discussion Niall Farrell agree to this undertaking. Judge O'Kelly then granted bail on their own recognisance of €1,000.

 

A similar but shorter "conversation" took place when Margaretta Darcy was brought before the court. There was a sharp exchange of views between Judge O'Kelly and Margaretta D'arcy when the Judge tried to silence her when he claimed that her comments were "political". "How can you try to depoliticise a political action" she asked him. The Judge threatened to have her removed from the court and held in contempt of court if she persisted in making political comments and a number of Gardai moved towards her at one point as if to remove her from court.

 

Clearly the US military and CIA use of Shannon airport is a very political act, as well of course as being in breach of international laws, and involving the Irish Government, the Gardai and the airport authorities in being complicit with war crimes. The Judge seemed determined to silence this aspect of the case and if this behaviour by judges in this case continues, then the judges can be accused of failing to allow all the facts and factors in the case to be heard before the court, particularly the factor of the reasons and justification for the actions taken by Margaretta Darcy and Niall Farrell. Their actions were clearly taken in order to expose and try and prevent the far greater evil and crimes involved in US military and CIA use of Shannon airport. If they are denied the opportunity to explain this to the court, then a mistrial will have taken place. Eventually Margaretta Darcy also agreed to the bail condition to give a written sworn undertaking not to trespass onto the airside area of Shannon airport between now and the completion of this case and both defendants were released on bail. Both Niall Farrell and Margaretta D'Arcy were remanded in bail to appear at Ennis District Court on 11 September 2013.

 

The separate arrest of Tommy Donnellan and his colleague, who had recorded the presence of Margaretta Darcy and Niall Farrell during their protest, is of serious concern especially the alleged unduly rough manner of the arrest in which some photographic equipment may have been damaged and some alleged abusive comments made by one of the detectives concerning one of the protesters. The Gardaí also impounded the photographic equipment, mobile phones, laptop computer, car and other equipment belonging to Tommy Donnellan and his friend, and told them they will be holding all these items for a period of at least 4 days.

 

The behaviour of the Gardai in all these matters is in marked contrast with the complete failure to search or investigate any of the US military and CIA aircraft that have transited through Shannon airport or to arrest any of the US war criminals that are known to have transited through Shannon. There also have been no arrests or Garda investigations into those Irish citizens, Irish Government officials, and Gardai who may have been complicit in the war crimes and acts of torture committed by US troops and US government agents who travelled through Shannon airport.

 

It is worth noting that Margaretta and Niall were both given bail on condition that they do not access the runway again until after both their cases are heard. The state is accusing them of having interfered with the "proper" use of the runway. Margaretta and Niall argue that they went on the runway to highlight the "improper" use of a civilian airport by the US military. President Higgins has called for "conversations" in public places about Irish society, GAAW wishes to hold the conversation about Ireland's role in foreign relations, on war and peace in the court. By agreeing this limited bail condition, the court appears to be accepting that the state has a case to answer over the misuse of Shannon airport by the US military and CIA associated aircraft. D'Arcy and Farrell informed the court (and the Gardai beforehand) that they would not accept any further limitation of the bail i.e. to include an exclusion order from Shannon as a whole. Their view was plain: if the US war machine can be in Shannon then so can peace activists who wish to protest peacefully against such misuse of the airport.


Margaretta D'Arcy video:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkuShg3GKiA

Protesters arrested at Shannon Airport:

                                          US Hercules aircraft at Shannon Airport, July, 2013

SYRIA CRISIS:
4 ARRESTED AT SHANNON
AIRPORT PEACE PROTEST:

Four people were arrested by Gardaí at Shannon Airport on Sunday night,
September 1st, 2013, during a peace protest by members of Galway Alliance
against War.
Protesters Niall Farrell and Margaretta D'Arcy gained access to the Airport runway
to stage their protest. Both have been arrested previously for similar activity and
are currently due for court appearances next month for previous charges. Two observers,
Tommy Donnellan, who was filming the event and Niall Carson, a local reporter, were also

arrested and taken to Shannon Garda station but were both released later without charge.
Mr Farrell and Ms D'arcy were due to appear in Limerick District Court Monday morning for
a hearing.

The Galway Alliance Against War released the following statement:

 

"Over the past twelve years consecutive Irish governments have colluded in Washington's campaign of wars from Afghanistan to Yemen, in which up to 2 million people have perished. By allowing the US military to use Irish airspace and Shannon airport to wage these wars we have become a willing accessory to mass murder. We have blood on our hands.

"Irish democracy has been subverted in the interests of this American war machine: the Greens and Labour entered government with a mandate to oppose Ireland's role in these wars and develop a policy of neutrality, but reneged on their promises. Therefore, we feel we have no alternative but to block the runway at Shannon to highlight Irish involvement in this carnage. We have also come on the runway to conduct, what President Higgins proposed, a "conversation" in public places about Irish society. There is no more relevant place in Ireland than Shannon airport's runway to discuss the need for the government to return to Ireland's traditional policy of neutrality and cease its collusion in these criminal wars.

"Once more the drums of war are beating, this time the Western powers, in particular the USA, have Syria in their sights. We call on the Irish government to follow the lead taken by neutral Austria and ban all military flights through national airspace and airports for any military operation related to Syria. We also call on the government to join with other governments throughout the world and oppose any use of force against Syria.

"The wars waged in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya have resulted in on-going death and destruction. These wars have not brought stability but the very opposite. It is time to give peace a chance!"

While Peace Protesters have regularly been arrested at this Airport, the Irish Government has repeatedly failed its responsibilities under International Law to prevent criminal activity
by the US military who have been using the Airport on a daily basis since 2003 and transporting illegal weapons supplies and kidnapped individuals for transport to the US torture camp at Guantanamo, Cuba. NO US aircraft have ever been searched by Irish authorities and no measures have ever been taken to protect human rights of individuals kidnapped and illegally detained and tortured by the US Military which the Irish Government is obliged to do in the case of any aircraft entering or using its airspace or ground facilities.