Ireland says no to US demands for Snowden arrest:

                                                     The High Courts of Justice, Dublin.

DUBLIN HIGH COURT
REJECTS US APPLICATION
FOR SNOWDEN ARREST
WARRANT:


Ireland has denied the U.S. an arrest warrant for whistle blower Edward Snowden in case he lands in this country. The High Court in Dublin ruled that Washington DC security chiefs failed to show where alleged crimes had been committed by the former intelligence contractor.The US applied for a provisional arrest warrant on Friday through its Dublin embassy.

Officials made the move after former NSA employee, Mr Snowden, contacted 21 countries, including Ireland, seeking asylum. There were concerns by US Officials that the fugitive intelligence officer, who has been living in the transit section of Moscow's Sheremetyevo-2 airport, would pass through Shannon Airport en route to South America. A request for asylum in Ireland can only be considered if Snowden makes an application on arrival in the country according to Government sources but, on a previous occasion asylum was granted to hundreds of Bosnian refugees although they had not yet arrived in Ireland

Judge Colm Mac Eochaidh refused the request for an arrest warrant on the grounds that no information had been given by the US authorities about where the alleged offences took place. The ruling also stated that the decision was taken because the US failed to show where the theft of government property took place or what had been stolen.Judge Mac Eochaidh said offences may relate to theft of information and its misuse rather than to physical property but that assumptions could not be made that it took place in Hawaii.

Former NSA analyst Mr Snowden has requested asylum across the globe, in Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Venezuela.He is wanted for allegedly leaking details of secret surveillance operations in the UK and US and has been in diplomatic limbo since his arrival in Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23.

RUSSIA RESPONDS

Russian president Vladimir Putin said Mr Snowden would have to stop leaking US secrets if he wanted to get asylum there. Russia’s foreign minister has rejected American demands to extradite Edward Snowden. Sergei Lavrov said Snowden had not crossed the Russian border and insisted that Russia has nothing to do with him, his relations with US justice, or his travel plans. He angrily criticised American demands for Snowden’s extradition and warnings of negative consequences if Moscow fails to comply.

Mr Lavrov said that accusing Russia of “violation of US laws and even some sort of conspiracy” with regard to Snowden is “absolutely ungrounded and unacceptable”. He would not specify the location of Snowden, who booked a Havana-bound flight from Moscow a week ago but, did not show up on the plane.

 

SHITTER SHATTER BATS FOR US SPY AGENCIES:

The Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter says there's nothing to prevent the US from making a fresh application to the Irish courts for the extradition of whistleblower Ed Snowden, should he enter the state following the refusal by the High Court to issue a provisional arrest warrant, in the event Snowden arrives in Ireland seeking political asylum.

                                                                  Shatter at a party conference

 

Responding to the High Court judgement, Minister Shatter said the Irish and U.S. authorities are in close contact with regard to Snowden.He said it was worth noting that the High Court refused to issue the arrest warrant "on the basis of specific information, rather than a determination as to whether an individual should or should not be extradited " Once again Shatter displays his contempt for the Irish public with a partisan propagandist claim on behalf of a foreign government. Also, he has no right commenting on a legal case before the courts in any manner whatsoever which amounts to contempt of court for which he should be called before the Justice hearing the case to account for his disgraceful remarks.

Shatter, a known pro-Zionist and apologist for Israeli war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank Palestinian Territories, including the piratical attacks on Irish ships travelling to Gaza; the illegal detention, kidnap, assault and stealing of property from Irish citizens on board shows that he is unfit to be a minister in the Irish Government and should be dismissed forthwith by An Taoiseach if the government had any respect for itself or the people it purports to govern under the Irish constitution.

Leaks

Edward Snowden leaked classified US intelligence documents to the media last month. Once he was unveiled as the NSA whistleblower, he fled to Hong Kong and from there to Moscow, where he has been residing in a transit area of the city's airport for weeks. He has subsequently released intelligence claiming that the US has been monitoring secret, official EU communications. Snowden has sought political asylum in dozens of countries - several of which have refused. However, Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua are enthusiastic to grant him asylum, if he can get out of Moscow - and is given uninhibited passage through international airspace.

A diplomatic incident a week ago when an aircraft carrying Bolivian President Morales was forced to break its journey and land in Vienna because of rumours that Mr Snowden was on board has provoked outrage throughout Latin America at the high-handed and lawless activities of Washington in its attempts to apprehend Mr Snowden.

Apart from the brass-necked effrontery of the US Administration in seeking the assistance of Irish courts in their vindictive campaign of intimidation against Mr Snowden while they continue to commit acts of murderous violence across the globe against the civilian populations of the several countries they are engaged in military actions in, the provocative intervention of Shatter on their behalf must be condemned and opposed vigorously by all progressive and democratic forces here.

Public anger at hospital case

                                     PHOTO; IRISH TIMES

HOSPITAL CASE PROVOKES
PUBLIC OUTRAGE:

POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE ON THE 
STREETS OF DUBLIN AS THOUSANDS

PROTEST AT DÁIL ÉIREANN:

The death of a woman in Galway University Hospital on 30th October last has led to spontaneous outbursts of public anger on the streets of Dublin and other cities tonight as revelations that the serious condition of the lady concerned may have been prolonged and allowed to deteriorate because of Catholic Church dogmas invoked by medical staff at the hospital. More than 3,000 people held a protest vigil outside Leinster House this evening at 6pm. There were also demonstrations in other cities and outside the Irish Embassy in London.

Two investigations are under way into the death of the woman who was 17 weeks pregnant, at University Hospital Galway last month. Savita Halappanavar (31), a dentist, presented with back pain at the hospital on October 21st, was found to be miscarrying, and died of septicemia a week later.

Her husband, Praveen Halappanavar (34), an engineer at Boston Scientific in Galway, says she asked several times over a three-day period that the pregnancy be terminated. He says that, having been told she was miscarrying, and after one day in severe pain, Ms Halappanavar asked for a medical termination. This was refused, he says, because the foetal heartbeat was still present and they were told, “this is a Catholic country”. She spent a further 2½ days “in agony” until the foetal heartbeat stopped.

A hospital spokesman confirmed the Health Service Executive had begun an investigation while the hospital had also instigated an internal investigation. He said the hospital extended its sympathy to the family and friends of Ms Halappanavar but could not discuss the details of any individual case. Mr Halappanavar took his wife’s body home to India on Thursday, November 1st, where she was cremated and laid to rest on November 3rd.

The case has led to immediate calls for legislation to clarify the law regarding termination of pregnancy following two referenda and a Supreme Court judgement in the past 20 years on other cases and a demand for explicit legal protection for mothers' health and welfare in such circumstances. There is huge embarrassment for the Government here in the failure to produce effective legislation in 20 years following on its recent failure to secure a credible vote in support of its proposals in last week's constitutional referendum where a shock 42% of those voting said NO.

Since the case also involves a judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in 2010 demanding that Government here produce effective legislation as described above, there is also acute embarrassment for Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Éamonn Gilmore, Leader of the Labour Party who, only yesterday was boasting about Ireland having secured a seat for three years on the UN Human Rights Committee. The fallout from this case, with a torrent of negative comments about Ireland's human rights deficit sweeping social and other media across the world, will resonate for a long time to come and the Government which fails to act promptly will suffer the political consequences with searing certainty.

As outrage grows, a further public protest has been declared for Saturday next, 17th November and is expected to bring the Capital to a halt.

Supreme Court slams Government

Supreme Court allows appeal

in referendum bias case:

The Supreme Court has ruled today that the Government spending of public money on an information campaign on the Children's Referendum was not fair, impartial or equal and violated constitutional law. The appeal was heard by a five judge Supreme Court comprised of the Chief Justice Ms Susan Denham, Mr Justice John Murray, Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman, Mr Justice Niall Fennelly and Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell.

The Court held that the information in leaflets and on a website did not conform to the required principles laid down by a landmark judgment in 1995, known as the McKenna judgment. This was a previous judgement granted to former Dublin MEP, Patricia McKenna who challenged and won her case against the Government spending public funds on its own political propaganda in referendums.The principles prohibit the use of public funds to promote a particular outcome in a referendum.The Court ruled that extensive passages in the booklet and on the website did not conform to these principles. The material also included a misstatement (in other words; lies)

In a unanimous decision, the Court granted a declaration that the State acted wrongfully in spending public money on the website, information booklets and advertisements in relation to the referendum. The case was taken by Mark McCrystal of Kilbarrack Road in Dublin who claimed the Government was wrongly using €1.1m of public funds to promote a Yes vote, something which was not allowed under the McKenna Judgment.  Mr McCrystal had sought a declaration that the respondents were not entitled to use public money on a website, booklet and an advertising campaign concerning the referendum. He also sought an injunction requiring the State to remedy the situation. However, the Court did not grant an injunction as the Court assumed the State will stop distributing and publishing the material.

The Government had denied their information campaign was biased towards a Yes vote.The case was given priority by the Supreme Court as the referendum takes place on Saturday.The full reasons for the decision will be given next month.The link to the Children's Referendum website, www.childrensreferendum.ie, has been deactivated.

Meanwhile, IRISH TIMES  journalist and No campaigner, John Waters, has said that the Children's Referendum would be a "breach of natural justice" following the ruling. Speaking on the RTÉ radio this morning, Mr Waters said the Government had misappropriated public money in breach of the McKenna Judgment, and if there was a Yes vote, it would be "contaminated".He added that in seeking to change the Constitution, the Government had behaved unconstitutionally. On RTÉ television's "Frontline" programme on Monday, Mr Waters trounced Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald's false arguments supporting the so-called "Children's Rights" referendum amendment to the Constitution which is to be voted on next Saturday.

The full programme can be viewed here:

http://www.rte.ie/news/player.html?thefrontline#programme=The%20Frontline

It is quite apparent that the majority of Yes supporters in this audience are professionals who have a vested interest in the expansion of state imposed child-care services from which they will derive financial benefit and the majority of NO supporters there are ordinary people who wish to preserve the rights of all citizens, including children,(who are citizens from the moment they are born) against further state intrusion into family life by means of this spurious referendum.

                                     The cover of the illegal booklet issued by the Government

Caught out again in blatant illegality and misuse of public funds, the Government's cynical power grab and attempt at diminishing parental rights and thus, the children's natural rights to association with their parents already enshrined in the Constitution is exposed for the sleazy anti-social proposition it is.

It has emerged in the news coverage that Minister Fitzgerald was the principal author of the condemned booklet and, in defence, she stated that she had sought and got advice from the Attorney General, Máire Whelan, on the legalities. Both of them should now resign having wasted over €1M on an illegal publication at public expense.


Mark McCrystal and Kathy Sinnott outside the Supreme Court after the judgement was delivered:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=clGS4zjakuo

Full text of Supreme Court judgment see here:

http://blagaroon2.blogspot.ie/2013/01/govt.html

Defend Our Constitution! 
Vote NO on Saturday, 
November 10th.

 

FearFeasaMacLéinn

Áth Cliath/Dublin

Samhain/November 08 2012